Till Death Do Us Part
by maikoxshipper
Summary: XXMAIKOXX Set in season two after Zuko Alone. Mai finds Zuko severely injured in the woods, and...well, just read it and find out for yourself. Rated T for safety.
1. Discovery

**A/N: Hi there! My name's Lena, and I love maiko. After hanging around on this site for a while, I decided to actually write a fanfiction! Go me! Anyway, this maiko story is set back in season two, after Zuko Alone; however, the story will not follow the plotline of season two. I just think it would've been interesting if this had happened. Anyway, please R&R, and try not to be too harsh!**

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Mai rolled over onto her side for about the fiftieth time in the last ten minutes.

It was the middle of the night. The sky was clear and lit with the pale tendrils of light the moon gave off, making the stars seem dull in comparison. The dark foliage of the forest was slightly illuminated, casting long shadows across the earthy ground. Mai flipped onto her back, gazing nonchalantly up at the ceiling of the cave she was sleeping in. The cave was dry and dark, the ground beneath her hard and bumpy. Mai glanced over at Ty Lee, who was mumbling about rainbows in her sleep, and then over at Azula, who was wearing a sadistic smile as she dreamed. Mai sighed. She knew that it was important to maintain stealth while hunting people, but Agni, did they really have to sleep in _caves_? She shuddered as she saw a cave hopper bounce past her head.

That was it. She got up, brushing the dirt and rubble off of her clothes. She was going to try and find a less insect-infested place to sleep. Mai made sure she had her weapons with her before stalking out into the woods.

Moss, trees, rabbiroos, more trees, a small stream, and—wait for it—more trees. Mai groaned as she trudged through the dense undergrowth, critically shaking her head at everything she saw. Compared to this, the cave was like a five-star hotel, Mai deducted dryly. This entire place was so completely wretched and bo—

Mai's thoughts were cut short as her foot caught onto something on the ground. With a yelp, she plummeted face first into the dirt.

"Ughhh!!" She made a thoroughly disgusted expression as she pushed herself up, wiping as much mud as possible off of her face. What had she tripped on? She never tripped. Usually she was graceful and poised. Falling into a grimy mud puddle wasn't generally something that was expected of someone of her nature.

She got to her knees and twisted around, annoyed. Her pale gold eyes widened.

There was boy behind her. A boy was collapsed on the ground, unmoving, three arrows protruding from his back. Blood was pouring out of him, soaking the grass and mud with the red liquid.

Mai narrowed her eyes and leaned closer, curious and even slightly concerned. The boy was dressed in torn, scorched green Earth Kingdom garments, a sheath with two swords hanging from his belt. Short, raven black hair covered his head; his face was hidden in the dirt. He seemed to be around Mai's age, possibly a little older. He was very well-muscled, Mai noticed, observing the way his muscles pushed against his clothing.

Mai found herself staring at the back of the boy's head. That hair…She gaped at it, entranced. It was the exact same color as…

Mai shook her head vigorously. No. His hair had been long. This couldn't be him.

Still, she had to be sure. Hesitantly she reached out, gripping her hand firmly on his shoulder. She took a deep breath, then slowly turned him over. She gasped in horror. Even through the thick mud and grime that coated his face, the large, blood-red scar was clearly visible.

"Zuko!"

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**A/N: Yeah, that was kind of predictable…Anyway, please review!!!**


	2. Decisions

**A/N: Update time! Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter; I really appreciate it! Anyway, here's chapter two (which is longer….yay!!). Please R&R!!**

**Oh, and I forgot to say this last time, but I don't own Avatar. However, I check for it every single day on ebay.**

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Mai had imagined meeting Zuko again hundreds of times. She had visualized running into his arms, embracing him and taking in his scent. She had dreamt of Zuko returning home with his honor and returning with her as well. She had even gone so far as to fantasize about their marriage.

But she had never considered this.

Zuko was unconcious, blood spilling out of his back at a frightening rate. His breathing was ragged, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. His raven black hair, now cropped short, was soaked through with persperation, the liquid cascading down his face like a waterfall. And yet, she could see him shivering in cold.

Zuko was dying.

Mai didn't know what to do. Hurriedly, she took off her outer cloak, tearing it into long strips. Setting those to the side, she pulled out one of her knives. Carefully, she pressed the blade against the fabric of his shirt, drawing a straight, careful line down it. With the clothing cut in half, she was able to pull it off of him like a vest to assess the damage. As his muscled chest was uncovered, Mai couldn't help but to stare a little. Quickly she shook her head. Now was not the time to admire his figure. Gently she turned him back onto his stomach.

"Oh no…" Mai breathed, gazing in horror at the three arrows that punctured his skin. They had gone in much, much deeper than she had thought. It would be difficult to get them out.

But she didn't have much of a choice. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed hold of one of the arrows, then, with a silent apology, pulled hard and fast.

Zuko gave a painstakingly harsh intake of breath, hissing through his teeth as his pale face contorted in agony. And yet, the arrow hadn't budged.

_They're barbed_, she realized, a sickened look crossing her features. There was only one thing she could do now.

Her expression deeply sympathetic, she took her knife and slowly inserted it into one of the arrow wounds. Mai bit her lips as Zuko began to grunt painfully, twisting and pulling away, his body yearning to be free of the pain. Mai paused in her procedure, unable to continue with him jerking around beneath her.

"Zuko, you have to hold still," she whispered. Zuko continued to struggle. "Zuko, please, I'm trying to help…" Softly, she laid a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it soothingly. "It's alright," she murmered quietly in his ear.

Zuko seemed to relax under her touch, ceasing his violent struggles against her but still giving an occasional involuntary twitch of pain. Mai continued to stroke his shoulder as she carefully drived further into Zuko's flesh with her knife. Finding the tip of the arrow, she cut the flesh that had been caught on the barb, then slowly pulled the arrow out. Mai grimaced as Zuko let out a moan, his face looking tortured. Mai examined the arrow, which was covered in Zuko's blood. It was a Fire Nation weapon. Mai tossed it to the side; she didn't have time to wonder about who had attacked him. She quickly and cautiously did the same for the other two arrows embedded in his back.

Now with three gaping, open wounds pouring his blood out, Zuko did not so much as make a sound. His face was growing paler and paler, his breathing shallower and shallower by the second as more and more blood drained from his body. Snatching up the cloth strips she had made, Mai wrapped him, starting from one of his broad shoulders and pulling it over his muscular chest, then bound his abdomen tightly with the cloth. Tying the makeshift bandages securely, she hoped to Agni that it would stop the bleeding.

But she knew it wouldn't be enough. Zuko desperately needed proffesional help. But where could she take him? If she went to an Earth Kingdom village, she would be risking getting the both of them killed for being Fire Nation. But if she didn't take him to an Earth Kingdom village, that only left one possibility.

She would have to turn him in to Azula.

Mai knew that he would be imprisoned if Azula got him. But, as she gazed down at Zuko's dying form, she knew there was no other way. Even if Zuko was imprisoned, she knew the Fire Lord wanted him alive. Zuko would not be permitted to die; he would receive help. And Mai needed him to live, even if he would hate her for giving him up to Azula.

Her face set in determination, she got to her feet. "I'll be back," she promised Zuko, then raced back towards the cave. Her boots splashed down in the mud puddles, splattering all over her, and Mai groaned as she felt the beginnings of rainfall plop onto her head. She wanted to stop running and duck under a large tree to avoid the rain, but then she remembered Zuko, getting weaker and weaker with each passing second, and she ran faster.

The rain had become a downpour by the time she arrived, soaking wet, covered in mud, hair messy and undone, at the cave.

"Azula! Ty Lee!" she called. As the two girls aroused, Mai realized she hadn't prepared anything to say.

"I found Zuko," was all she was able to think of.

The two girls stared at her for a second, gazing at her bedraggled form. Then Azula smiled.

"Perfect. I haven't fought someone in a long while. It'll be nice to be in combat again…even if it _is_ with someone as pathetic as my brother…" She stepped forward, trying to leave the cave.

"No," Mai said quickly, standing in front of Azula. Azula looked at her suspiciously. "I…I mean…he's already been hurt. He had three arrows in his back, and—"

Azula smiled sadistically and gave Mai a pleased look. "Ah, you already dealt with him yourself?" She nodded at her in approval.

Mai was about to deny that she had struck him down, but stopped herself. It was important that Azula trusted her. If she said she hadn't done it, Azula's faith in her might waver.

"Yes," Mai agreed, feeling as though she were stabbing herself in the chest. "I dealt with him." She gritted her teeth, staring down at her muddy clothes. Then, quickly, she looked back at Azula. "But I think I may have taken it too far. I think he's…I think he's dying, Azula." Mai forced back all of her emotions with difficulty. She couldn't let Azula see her concern.

"So?" Azula questioned, indifferent. Mai's heart felt like it had jumped to her throat as she questioned whether she had made the right decision to come to Azula.

"So the Fire Lord wants him alive," Mai pointed out, trying to make it sound like she was more worried about how the Fire Lord would react than Zuko's welfare. "Don't you think we'll get in trouble?"

Azula sighed, examining her fingernails. "I suppose you're right. It shouldn't be much of a problem, though. We'll just have him treated on the way back to the Fire Nation."

Mai let out a breath in silent relief. "Alright, follow me."

Azula and Ty Lee followed close behind Mai as she went back to where Zuko had been. Her heart pounded in her ears; she was afraid that Zuko might be…she gulped…dead by the time they got there.

But thankfully, Mai noted as they approached his unconcious body, his chest was still rising and falling ever so slightly with each breath. Azula wasted no time in racing forward, pulling a pair of handcuffs out of her pocket. Mai felt a pang of guilt as she watched Zuko get chained up, unable to fight back in his current state.

"He's bandaged," Azula noted, knocking Mai out of her reverie.

"Oh…" Mai begain, trying to come up with an explanation. "I didn't want him to lose too much blood; the Fire Lord might be angry."

Azula glared at her in suspicion, but decided to let it slide. "Ah," she stated simply, then turned to Ty Lee.

"Get the mongoose-dragons (a/n: is that what they're called? Anyway, I'm talking about those lizardy things they rode in The Chase). We have to get back to the ship. Then we can go back to the Fire Nation for Zuko's execution."

"His _what_?" Mai asked sharply, panic taking over quickly.

"His execution," Azula repeated happily.

"But then why does the Fire Lord want him alive?" Mai couldn't take this in. Zuko's…_execution_?

"My father wants Zuzu to die properly, in front of the nation he has disgraced. Also, I'm sure he wants to see it for himself." Azula grinned, and Mai's face contorted in disgust. "So we'll keep him alive; at least until my father is ready to have him killed." Azula glanced at Mai's stunned, horrified expression. "Is there a problem?" she inquired, one eyebrow raised.

Mai shook her head, her face going back to its usual nonchalant expression. "Of course not, Princess Azula," she forced out, sounding defeated.

"Good." Mai gestured for Ty Lee to go get the mongoose-dragons (a/n: yeah, I'm still not sure if that's what they're called).

As Ty Lee skipped off, Mai watched Azula smile triumphantly at her currently helpless brother. And as Mai looked down at Zuko, chained, weak, about to be shipped off to his death, she could only ask herself one question over and over again.

_What have I done?_

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**A/N: See? It was longer! Lol…anyway, please review! **


	3. The Meeting

**A/N: Alrighty, time for chapter 3!! Once again, I must say thank you for the reviews. I really enjoy hearing what you think!**

**I don't own Avatar. Yeah. Poor me.**

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"You seem so down…well, more than usual, that is," a mocking voice sneered behind her.

Mai sighed, not shifting her eyes away from the water below. They were on the ship heading back to the fire nation. Nothing but the horrible, wide-open sea was visible for miles around her, the water a pale gray like the the overcast sky above. The royal ship was huge, much to large for Mai's taste, pushing its way through the water like an overgrown sea-lion. And as for Zuko…Mai didn't know exactly where he was. He was somewhere below deck, receiving treatment for his wounds.

_Yeah, so that he'll be healthy when he's killed_, Mai thought bitterly, gritting her teeth.

"You couldn't possibly be worried, could you?" Azula continued, irked that Mai hadn't responded to her previous statement. Mai's ears perked at the hint of distrust in Azula's voice. Time to play it up.

"Worried about what?" Mai asked, making sure her face was set in its usual expressionless mask before turning to look at Azula.

"About Zuko."

Mai hoped Azula hadn't noticed the touch of pain that name brought to her features.

She forced a believable yawn. "Yeah, what about him?"

Azula eyed her curiously. "You aren't worried?"

"No," Mai lied. "Why? Should I be?" She faced Azula, trying to look concerned. "Do you think he'll break out or something?"

Azula smiled, satisfied. "No, I'm sure he won't." She walked off, her shoes clacking on the steel floor of the ship.

Mai gazed back down at the water, swallowing hard. The truth was that she was extremely worried. To decrease Azula's suspicion in her, Mai couldn't go down to see how Zuko was doing. She wanted so badly to be there next to him, making sure he was getting better.

Not that it mattered, she remembered, grimacing. Even if Zuko recovered, he would just be killed anyway once they got back to the Fire Nation.

And yet, she still hoped that Zuko would heal. Then, at least, he might have a chance. Maybe his father would take mercy on him and just lock him up instead of excuting him.

But she knew what a foolish hope _that_ was.

Even so, that night she found herself creeping out of her quarters, a robe pulled tightly over her nightclothes. Silently she padded through the dimly lit corridors, the flames of the laterns set in the walls casting a faint, orangish light onto the metal floor. She slipped out onto the deck, shivering as the freezing wind cut straight through her even with the added layer of clothing her robe was. Quickly she tiptoed down the steps that led below deck. Mai's teeth began to chatter. Even though the wind was cut off now, it was surprisingly even colder down below deck. Mai wondered how Zuko could possibly heal in a place this cold.

Crossing her arms over her chest to maintain warmth, she slunk down the icy corridors, her breath appearing as a white mist before her. The corridor had several doors on both sides; Mai paused, unsure of how to proceed. She needed to see Zuko; her uncertainty about his health was driving her crazy. But there were so many doors. If she picked the wrong one, she risked waking a sleeping guard, and then the guard would tell Azula, and…Mai stiffened, inspecting each and every door, scrutinizing them as if she would find some sort of sign that would point her in the right direction.

Mai was about to shake her head in disappointment and head back up when the door at the end of the hall was pushed open. A nervous-looking nurse bustled out, wringing her hands in anxiety. Mai sucked in a breath, moving back against the wall, melding into the shadows like a ghost. The nurse hurried through another door on the right, leaving the room she had gone from unoccupied.

Silently Mai crept down the hall in the dark. As she walked past the doors, she could hear the faintest bits of what was happening behind them. Snoring, quiet whispering, more snoring, and…ew! Those noises were _definitely_ not age appropriate. Making a thoroughly grossed-out expression, Mai hurried down the corridor. When she reached the door, she peered cautiously through the barred window.

Sure enough, there was Zuko. From what she could tell from her current distance, he wasn't doing any better. His scarred face glowed deathly pale in the dull light.

Mai swung the door open, cringing as a loud creaking rang out. She froze, listening intently for anyone coming.

Nothing. She slipped through, closing the door slowly so as to keep it from creaking again. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face Zuko, bracing herself for what she might see.

Zuko had been re-wrapped in new bandages, tied tightly and securely over his muscular torso. A single, thin blanket covered him, leaving him shivering in the cold of the room. His hair was still much shorter than Mai was used to, and the deforming burn scar that covered his left eye still brought on a twinge of pain and regret as memories flashed through her mind. His breathing was horribly ragged, his eyes closed, his face painstaken; Mai felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she realized that he looked no better than he had when she had first found him in the woods.

Mai knelt down next to his low cot, resting her hand lightly on his strong arm. His skin was ice cold. Mai gritted her teeth and swallowed hard, fear grabbing hold of her with a death grip.

"Zuko…" she whispered, her hand squeezing his arm. "Zuko, please, wake up."

Zuko's eyes remained closed.

Memories washed over Mai as she stared at his motionless form. Zuko playing with her when they were little. Zuko and herself hiding in the back of a closet, trying to avoid Azula. Zuko smiling and laughing with her. Zuko holding her hand, his skin pleasantly warm against her own. Mai reached down and gently took hold of his hand. The skin was cold; lifeless.

Mai felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She hung her head, a hundred intense emotions filling her body as she tried desperately to hold the tears back.

Suddenly, Zuko's hand was pulled out of her grasp and her wrist was clenched in an iron grip. Mai gasped, surprised. Zuko was awake. His golden eyes were barely cracked open, and yet there was a piercing intensity to his gaze. But that wasn't all. There was something else…something that Mai found frightening.

"Who's there?" he questioned, his voice weak and quiet, yet still demanding.

That's when Mai realized what was wrong. Zuko's eyes were foggy; the pain had hindered his ability to see straight.

Mai looked at him sadly, but she _was_ glad he was awake. "It's Mai," she answered softly.

Zuko's grip on her wrist loosened for a second, but then he clamped back on it as tightly as before.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his expression guarded. Mai watched him blink several times; he was trying to clear his vision. "Where am I?"

Mai looked down, ashamed. "You're on a boat to the Fire Nation." _And it's my fault that you're going_, she thought guiltily. "I just came down to see how you were feeling."

Zuko gazed at her, his eyes straining to see her normally. "Wh…why?"

"Because Azula's bringing you to the Fire Nation to be…imprisoned." Mai couldn't bring herself to tell him he was going to be executed.

Zuko closed his eyes, giving up on trying to see straight for the time being. "I know. But why did you come to see how I was?"

Mai glanced up, startled. "Because…" she trailed off, trying to find a decent answer. Why had she come? She couldn't possibly tell him she was worried. Could she? "I mean, you were hurt pretty badly, and…Azula told me to see you." _Yeah_, she congratulated herself. That was believable enough.

Zuko's eyes opened once more, the golden orbs still cloudy, his expression angry. "What does _she_ want?" He made to get out of bed, but Mai put a hand lightly on his chest.

"Don't get up," she ordered firmly. "You're hurt."

Zuko tensed slightly, but he didn't try to get up. He grunted, his face twitching in a wave of pain. "Wh…what happened?"

Mai looked down again. "I don't know."

"It was Azula…wasn't it?" Zuko looked infuriated.

"No," Mai answered swiftly. Zuko looked at her with unclear eyes. "You were hurt with arrows."

Zuko's rage flared up even more. "Then it was you!" he accused, shoving himself upward. Immediately he fell back onto the cot, crying out in pain.

"Zuko!" Mai cried, putting a hand on his shoulder as he writhed in pain, his body twitching and squirming, trying to rid itself of the agony that burned through him like fire. Mai massaged his shoulder, pain crossing her features as once again she felt tears flooding her eyes. And once again she blinked them back with difficultly.

Finally Zuko lay still, breathing heavily, chest heaving, a cold sweat dripping down his forehead. Mai gazed at him in pity, her hand slowly moving up his chest to his face, coming to rest on his cheek, her fingertips just grazing the rough skin of his scar. His clouded eyes opened slowly.

"You…did this…to me…didn't…you?" he huffed, pushing her hand off of his face. His expression was deeply hurt, and Mai suspected it wasn't just from the physical pain.

Mai shook her head vigorously. "No. When I found you, you already had three arrows in your back."

Zuko glared at her with misty eyes. "How…do I know…you're not lying?" he asked, still out of breath.

Mai was silent for a moment. Finally, she muttered softly but firmly, " I could never hurt you, Zuko."

Zuko eyed her briefly, judging the sincerity in her voice. He shut his eyes again, seeming to believe her. Mai once again placed her hand tenderly on his face, the tips of her fingers resting on his scar. This time Zuko didn't push it away.

"He's going to have me killed…isn't he?"

Mai's eyes flashed up, shocked. "Wh…who?"

"My father." Zuko didn't so much as open his eyes.

Mai stared at him, mouth agape as she pulled her hand back. What could she possibly say to that? Was it right to tell a condemned man he would executed? Was it right to tell _Zuko_ that?

"Don't answer that," Zuko said swiftly. "I know he will. I overheard the nurses earlier…they were talking about…my execution."

Mai grimaced. _Zuko's_ execution. The end of Zuko's life. The day Zuko would disappear from the world…forever. A single tear rolled down her cheek. Mai gave in, allowing more tears to flow. She couldn't hold them back anymore.

Zuko's eyes opened, and, much to Mai's surprise, they were clear; focused.

His expression became sympathetic as he took her in for the first time in three long years.

"Mai…please…don't cry…" he said softly.

Mai quickly turned her head away, hiding her eyes beneath her dark fringe of bangs. She couldn't let Zuko see…

A hand brushed against her cheek, turning her head gently back to face Zuko. Delicately Zuko's fingers wiped away Mai's tears, his hands soft and kind.

"It's alright…" he murmered, slowly, carefully pushing himself up closer to her, trying to avoid the pain in his back as much as possible. He tilted Mai's face up slightly, so that they were level, and then, softly, ever so softly, he pressed his lips against hers.

Mai paused, taken aback. Zuko had…kissed her, she realized. Then, without another moment's hesitation, she kissed him back, three years of longing and passion being focused through it. Mai put an arm around Zuko's neck, and he ran a hand through her silky hair as they continued to kiss, embracing each other tenderly for the first time in much too long.

Mai didn't know how long the kiss lasted, but it seemed only seconds before Zuko gently broke off, re-opening his golden eyes as he laid back down on his cot.

_He must be exhausted_, Mai thought. She got up slowly. "I should go…"

But as she turned to leave, a hand grabbed hers.

"No…" Mai turned to see Zuko sitting upright once again, cradling her hand in his own. He gazed at her with pleading eyes. "Stay…please…" He gave her hand a slight squeeze.

Mai hesitated, then nodded. "I'll stay…at least until you're asleep. Then I have to go before Az—" Mai cut herself off, realizing that what she was saying was contradicting with the lie she told earlier that Azula had asked her to see Zuko. She bit her lip, hoping he wouldn't notice.

Zuko looked at her curiously. Mai could have sworn she saw a flicker of realization in his eyes, but he said nothing. Instead, he smiled slightly, lying back down on the cot.

Mai knelt down beside him, holding his hand firmly in hers. Zuko sighed almost contentedly, shutting his eyes.

"You're cold," Mai stated simply.

"I'm okay," he murmered. Then he opened his eyes again, a distant look crossing his features. "I…I've missed you."

Mai smiled slightly, a tiny blush lightning her pale cheeks. "I missed you too."

Zuko had closed his eyes again. His breathing seemed a little less strenous than it had been earlier, but not by much. Still, it was better than nothing.

Within the first few minutes, Zuko had fallen into a deep sleep, but Mai hadn't left. She was afraid this might be the last time she ever saw him. What if she couldn't sneak back down here tomorrow? What if he died overnight? Mai clenched his hand tightly. She couldn't bear to lose Zuko. Not again. The last three years had been horrible without him there; she had been so alone. She hadn't realized until she had seen him again just how alone she had been. She needed Zuko. She _wouldn't_ lose him again.

She was going to find a way to save him. Even if she had to turn against her own nation to do it.

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**A/N: That was a bit _too_ long**.** Ah well. It fit together. Please review!!**


	4. Experimentation

**A/N: Yay! Another update! It's amazing what I can accomplish when I'm not paying attention in Geography class :) Anyway, here's chapter 4! It may seem like it doesn't advance the plot much, because it doesn't, but believe me when I tell you that it's setting up for chapters to come.**

**BREAKING NEWS: I don't own Avatar!**

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"So…how are you feeling?" Mai asked softly.

A week had passed since Mai had first snuck down below deck to see Zuko. Each night since then, she had been sure to go back, a thick blanket clutched in one hand, a bowl of food in the other. She had no idea what the nurses were feeding him, if he was being fed at all, and she wanted to do whatever she could to allow him to heal as quickly as possible. He needed to recover enough to escape by the time they reached the Fire Nation. Not only that, but Mai couldn't stand seeing him in so much pain.

"Better," Zuko told her in an overly convincing tone, reaching for the bowl of rice she held out to him with a starved look in his eyes.

Mai did have to admit that his health had improved. His breathing was back to normal, and he had gotten some color back in his face. But Mai knew he still had a long way to go. Even though he tried hard to conceal it, Mai often saw him cringing in pain, gritting his teeth as he tried to stop himself from crying out. And, although he was no longer at the gates of death, he was still horribly weak; even the simplest of movements were difficult for him.

"Hmm," Mai murmered, throwing the warm blanket she had brought over him. It was much too cold down here. She wished she could just leave the blanket with him, but then Azula might find out she had given it to him. Still, he might as well stay warm during the night.

Zuko scowled, setting down his rice as he caught the skepticism in Mai's voice. "You don't believe me?" He tugged the blanket from her roughly, hating that she thought he was too helpless to put it over himself, then stiffened, biting his lips as a jolt of pain ran through his back from the sudden movement.

"Umm, no, I don't believe you," Mai smirked, taking the blanket back from him. She laid it over Zuko, who was now violently shoving rice into his mouth in frustration. Mai shot him a sympathetic look. _It must be horrible not to be able to do _anything, Mai thought. _And I thought _my _life was boring._

She gazed down at him, thinking. Well, if she was going to escape with him, he would have to try eventually anyway, she told herself, trying to ease the worry that fluttered in her stomach at the very idea.

She sighed. "Fine. If you think you're ready, you can try to get out of bed," Mai said defeatedly, waving her hand as carelessly as she could manage, trying to make it seem like she wasn't scared out of her brains at the prospect of it being too much for him.

Zuko's eyes widened, surprised. Then a small smile crept onto his face. "Really? You won't try and stop me?"

Mai swallowed hard. "No, you can try."

Zuko immediately tried to hop up, but Mai instinctively shot out an arm to hold him back.

"I thought you said you wouldn't stop me." Zuko glared up at her, looking irritated.

"Sorry," Mai apologized, pulling her hand back. "Just…take it slow, okay?"

Zuko must have noticed the concern in her eyes, because he nodded in agreement. Slower this time, he propped himself up on the cot, grimacing as his back twinged in pain. Carefully he got into a sitting position, swinging his legs down to the side of the cot, the bottoms of his bare feet pressed against the ice-cold floor. He took a deep breath, preparing himself. Mai bit her lips fearfully, having to use all of her willpower to stop herself from holding Zuko down as he pushed himself off of the cot, standing for the first time in a week.

In less than a second his legs had given out beneath him and he was falling to the floor.

"Zuko!" Mai rushed forward, catching him around his bandaged middle before he could hit the ground. Mai could feel his muscles working to steady himself, but it was like his legs had turned to jelly. No matter how hard he tried, his muscles just didn't work.

With a great amount of effort, Mai was able to heave him back onto the cot. Zuko immediately laid down on his stomach, breathing heavily from trying so hard. He shut his eyes, burying his face in the lumpy pillow in exhaustion as he tried to catch his breath. Mai rubbed his back, feeling the hard plates of muscle he was currently unable to use. She hoped he would fall asleep and relax; she didn't want him to overwork himself like he almost always did. It hurt her too much to see him struggle and fight when there was no way he could possibly win. But Zuko was a very stubborn boy…

So it was no surprise when Zuko sat back up. "I'm going to try again," he stated firmly, determination flashing in his golden eyes. Mai knew that look all too well; it meant Zuko was going to do something, and nothing anyone said would change his mind.

But that didn't stop her from trying. After all, she was very stubborn girl. "Zuko, no." Mai shook her head. "You can't do it. You aren't ready."

Zuko glared at her. "You said you'd let me try."

"You _did_ try!" she pointed out, thoroughly distraught. "You tried and you couldn't do it because you aren't ready!" Mai knew that her desperation was creeping onto her usually expressionless face, but she didn't care.

"I couldn't do it because I didn't try hard _enough_."

Before Mai could stop him, Zuko shoved himself upward, his muscles straining as he tried as best he could to stay up. Mai gasped as he wobbled, then collapsed.

This time Mai didn't move fast enough to catch him. His wounded back smacked against the floor loudly, a cry of pain slipping from his pale lips. Mai crouched down next to him, gazing at him anxiously in concern. Zuko's face was agonized as pain ripped through his back, the sensation feeling as if it were tearing him in two. He moaned, turning onto his side. Mai's expression grew pitiful as she caught sight of the blood flowing out of his back, the wounds split back open from his fall. Mai yanked the blanket she had brought off of his cot and folded it, pressing it firmly against his back to try and stop the bleeding as Zuko twisted around violently in pain. Mai pushed her free hand down on his shoulder, trying to keep him still, and Zuko obliged, clawing the hard floor as he forced himself to lie still.

The second Mai had finished mopping up the blood, Zuko had forced himself back up again.

Zuko's face hardened as he tried to ignore the pain that ripped through his body. "I'm _going_ to stand," he said fiercely. But as he began to push himself up, two hands gripped his shoulders, shoving him down so that he couldn't get out of his sitting position on the floor.

"No you're not," Mai said just as fiercely, if not more so. "All you're going to do is hurt yourself." Zuko struggled against her wordlessly, trying to free himself. Mai gritted her teeth, trying desperately to make him understand. "Please, Zuko, don't make me see you in pain again…" Involuntarily her hand brushed his scar, making her pull back quickly, ashamed.

Zuko stopped moving. Slowly his own hand went up to his scar, fingering it absently as a hopeless look entered his eyes. He shook his head slowly. "Why can't I stand up, Mai?" He shut his eyes, grimacing. "It's such a simple thing…but I still can't do it."

Mai knelt down beside him, pulling his hand off of his scar and holding it in hers. "You lost a lot of blood; your body isn't stable yet."

Zuko groaned, opening his fury-filled eyes as he leaned back against the edge of the cot in exasperation. "There's no way I can just keep laying in bed! I need to _do_ something!"

Mai released her grip on his hand, nodding in understanding. "Pretty boring, huh?"

"Yes!" Zuko exclaimed with a "no freaking duh" expression.

"I know what that's like," she muttered under her breath. She peered solemnly at Zuko's distressed features. Mai could tell it wasn't just the boredom that was getting to him. Zuko thought he was going to be executed, and as it was, he wouldn't be strong enough to so much as stand up in dignity when it happened. Mai hadn't told him of her plans to save him yet; she didn't want to tell him. If she told him, he'd want an explanation as to why she wanted to save him, and she didn't know what she could say to that.

Mai shook her head, snapping out of her thoughts, and smiled down at Zuko. "Why don't we try one last thing? Would it help if you could lean on me while you stood?"

Zuko eyed her carefully. "I guess…" He lifted himself up onto the cot with effort, sitting next to Mai on the edge of it.

"Alright," she murmered, positioning Zuko's left arm over her shoulder and wrapping her own arm around his iron-hard stomach. "Ready?" She felt Zuko tense against her. "Okay," she breathed, standing alongside him. Zuko lost his balance almost immediately, then leaned against her heavily, obviously needing her support. He gritted his teeth painfully as he struggled against gravity, swaying back and forth unsteadily, but to both of their surprise, he didn't fall.

Staggering under his weight, Mai grunted, "Agni, you're heavy. What have you been eating?"

Zuko managed to glare at her even though he was trying to concentrate on staying on his feet. "Whatever _you've_ been feeding me," he shot back.

Mai smirked. "Well, if that's how you feel…" She shrugged, making as if to step away and leave him behind.

"No, wait! That's not what I meant!" Zuko shouted desperately, managing to grab onto her shoulder before he did a face-plant. Mai laughed, clearly amused that he actually thought she abandon him. Zuko realized what he had just pulled. "Hey! That's not funny!" Mai continued to laugh. Zuko growled, a playful look entering his eyes. "Alright, now you're going to get it…"

Mai held up a finger, waggling it at him teasingly. "Nope. You have to rest!" She smirked at Zuko's annoyed expression.

Zuko paused, his face contemplative as if he were in deep thought. In the end, he shrugged. "It'll be worth it," he smirked, eyeing her dangerously. Then, before Mai could react, Zuko had pushed her back, tossing her lightly onto the cot behind them. Mai jumped back up, three stilettos clenched in her hand to pin Zuko to the wall with, but he tackled her, pinning her by the shoulders against the cot.

Mai blew a stray hair out of her face in irritation as she glared up at Zuko, who was towering above her in triumph despite the fact that he was grimacing in pain.

Ignoring the horrible pain in his back from shoving her down, he grinned, baring pure white teeth as he released his hold on her, crossing his arms over his chest smugly. "Yup, that was definitely worth it."

Mai narrowed her eyes in defiance, and was just about to smack him upside the head when suddenly she realized something.

"Zuko!" she cried, an unfamiliar, pure joy spreading through her like wildfire as she sat up, confusion passing through her features at the same time. "How did you...what did...how?" she spluttered, staring at him, mouth agape.

Zuko gave her an odd look. "What?"

"You're standing!" she burst out.

Zuko gazed at her quizzically, not really comprehending what she was saying. Slowly he looked down at his feet that were solidly placed on the ground, then to the sides, wondering if he was leaning on something. His eyes wide and disbelieving, he stated simply, "Yeah…I guess I am."

Mai was overcome with a combination of beautiful joy and immense relief, the emotions bubbling uncontainably inside her. Unable to control herself, she ran forward and threw her arms around him, embracing him so forcefully she could hear his breath leave his body.

"Mai!" he gasped as she continued to squeeze him. "I…can't…breathe!"

Mai released him, stepping back so that he could suck in some air. "Sorry," she apologized quietly, her face glowing a beet red in embarrassment.

Zuko shook his head, smiling slightly as he gulped in huge lungfuls of air. "It's okay," he muttered, luckily not seeming to notice her bright red face as he lay down on the cot, his exhaustion finally getting the best of him.

"How did you do it? What did you do? Before you couldn't, and then you just...how?" Mai babbled, confused.

Zuko shrugged. "I don't know." Then he grinned slyly. "I just really wanted to get you back."

Mai watched him pull his blanket over himself carefully so as to avoid any further pain, then she gently took his hand, smiling warmly. "Do you want me to stay?"

Zuko's lips quirked in the slightest of smiles, his eyes closed. "No, go get some rest." He opened his eyes, examining her tired face warily. "You haven't been sleeping much at all, have you?"

Mai looked away, not wanting to admit that he was right. She had been too worried to get a good nights' sleep…not that she ever really slept well anyway.

Zuko squeezed her hand lightly, smiling sleepily through half-closed eyes. "Go rest."

Mai bit her lips, nodding, then got reluctantly to her feet, picking the blood-soaked blanket off of the floor and snatching up the now empty food bowl she had brought with her. Quietly she tiptoed to the door to leave, but as her fingers closed around the freezing door handle, she couldn't help but look back at Zuko, who's eyes were already closed.

"I really am glad that you're doing better," she whispered softly so that Zuko couldn't hear. With the tiny smile, she twisted the handle and slipped through into the dark corridor, turning back to shut the door as quietly as possible behind her. Afer one final peek at Zuko through the barred window in the door, she turned to go…

…and ran headlong into someone. Mai gasped, trying to step back, but two pale, slender hands shot out of the shadows, catching her by the wrists, gripping so hard that Mai lost her hold on the food bowl and blanket. They both toppled onto the ground, the wooden bowl clattering against the metal floor.

"Well, well," a chillingly familiar girl's voice snarled. "What do we have here?"

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**A/N: Gee, I wonder who that could be? (( /sarcasm )). Anyway, please review!**


	5. The Escape

**A/N: Time for an update! Thank you very much to all of you reviewed; I very much appreciate it! Now, onto chapter 5…**

**I don't own Avatar. But, Christmas is coming up in a couple months, so…**

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"A-Azula!" Mai sputtered, taken aback. "Wh…what are you doing down here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," she countered, her voice dangerously calm.

"I was…" Mai searched for an explanation as she tried to get her bearings. "I was…"

"Checking on Zuzu?" Azula finished for her, raising an eyebrow.

"No! I mean, I…" Mai changed tactics as an idea came to her. She sighed in mock defeat. "Okay, fine. I wasn't supposed to tell you this, but Ty Lee asked me to check on Zuko for her. She's worried."

Azula glared at her suspiciously, then bent down and picked up the blanket and bowl that had fallen to the floor. "Really? Then what are these for?"

"Ty Lee wanted me to bring him some food." Mai's heart was beating a mile a minute, but her exterior seemed unfazed.

"I didn't know Ty Lee cared so much," Azula murmured, sliding a hand to her hips.

"I didn't either," Mai responded simply, carelessly. Azula looked irritated.

She fingered the blanket. "And this…"

"That was for me," Mai answered quickly. "It's cold down here."

"Then why is it covered in blood?" Azula smiled sadistically, and Mai felt a lump form in her throat.

"I…uhm…had a nosebleed," Mai lied feebly. Azula smirked in triumph.

She squeezed the blood-soaked blanket, dripping the red liquid onto the floor. "Must've been _some_ nosebleed…"

"It was," Mai agreed, keeping her face apathetic with difficulty, knowing full well that she had lost.

"Well," Azula continued, absently twirling one of the strands of hair that framed her face. "You might be interested to hear that we will be arriving at the Fire Nation soon." She gave Mai a cold look. "Tomorrow morning, in fact." She let that last sentence hang out in the open suggestively.

"Hmm," Mai mumbled, acting as disinterested as possible while her mind reeled. Tomorrow? But Zuko had only just regained his ability to stand. And if they were going to arrive by morning, she would have to get him out _tonight_. She gulped, struggling to maintain her emotionless expression.

She yawned dramatically. "I'm going to go to bed," she muttered, walking past Azula, abandoning the bowl and blanket behind her.

"Sleep tight," Azula smirked mockingly. Mai hung her head, hiding her golden eyes beneath her dark bangs as she trudged up the steps, entering the open air of the deck. Moving as if her mind was no longer connected to her body, she went over to the edge of the boat, leaning over the railing and staring down at the stormy waters below.

What could she do? They would be at the Fire Nation by tomorrow, and Zuko was far from ready to make an escape. But it seemed that she would have no choice. No matter how difficult and painful it would be for the both of them, it had to be done. She just needed a plan.

Azula was obviously suspicious of her; no doubt she would be paying extra attention to everything tonight. Mai would definitely have to wait a little, for an hour at least so that Azula would hopefully go back to bed, and then she would make her move. She'd have to sneak him up onto the deck, then get the both of them into one of the lifeboats and row away as fast as possible. What she'd do after that, she didn't know. But at least Zuko would be safe, and that's all that mattered.

Quickly she crept back to her room, shutting the heavy door behind her as she walked into the cramped space, lying down on her cot even though she had no intention of falling asleep. She stared up at the plain metal ceiling, sighing as anxiety bubbled up in her stomach. She wasn't so much worried for herself as she was for Zuko. It had been so difficult for him to just stand up. She didn't even know if he could walk yet. If Azula attacked, all was lost. Zuko would be unable to defend himself, and Mai wasn't sure if she would be able to protect the both of them while trying to help Zuko walk at the same time.

Nonetheless, after exactly one hour she was heading back down the steps that led below deck, her knives loaded and ready in her sleeves. She cautiously stepped into the corridor, peering through the looming shadows for Azula.

Thankfully, she saw no one. Quickly she slunk over to the door, her feet making no sound against the cold floor. She peeked through the window, checking for Azula once again.

Inside there was only Zuko, sleeping soundly in the dark. Mai slipped through the door, leaving it ajar, then stepped up, lightly tapping on his shoulder.

Zuko hadn't been sleeping as heavily as she had thought. His eyes immediately flickered open, gazing at her in confusion in the dim light.

"Mai?" he called, blinking as he sat up carefully. Mai cringed at the loudness of his voice. "I thought I told you to sleep…"

Mai shook her head, holding a pale finger to her lips. "Quiet," she whispered. "Get out of bed. We're going."

Zuko obeyed, looking disoriented. "Going where?" He stood up shakily, his legs scarcely managing to support him.

Mai grabbed his arm, putting it over her shoulders so he could lean on her. "I'm getting you out of here. We're almost at the Fire Nation, so we need to leave tonight." Mai tried to move forward, but Zuko stayed put. "Come on!"

Zuko just stared at her suspiciously. "Why? Why are we going?"

Mai rolled her eyes, irritated. "So that you won't be killed!"

Now Zuko was the one that was annoyed. "I know _that_! But why do you want to save me?"

Mai wrung her hands, exasperated. "We don't have time for this!"

"Make time," Zuko ordered firmly, refusing to move forward.

Mai shook her head in anxiety. If she was going to save Zuko, she would have to tell him the truth. "Because I need you," she blurted out, too panicked to be embarrassed. "I don't know how else to explain this to you except that I need you, and I'm not going to let you die."

Zuko gazed at her with wide golden eyes, mouth agape in disbelief. Mai ignored him and pulled him forward, supporting his wounded body with hers. Zuko tried to walk and nearly collapsed, losing his footing on his first step. Mai managed to catch him with one hand, steadying him before moving on, wrapping an arm around his middle for extra support as they struggled through the doorway.

As they walked, Zuko slowly began to improve, finding his balance as his muscles seemed to awaken, beginning to work again as he went farther down the corridor. Mai watched in pride as he eventually unraveled her arm from around him, able to walk with just his arm over her shoulder for support.

Mai slowed down as they reached the stairs, not sure of what to do. Mai didn't think Zuko would be able to get up…he was still pretty shaky.

Zuko, on the other hand, didn't hesitate at all on the stairs. Gripping the railing with his right hand and leaning on Mai with the other, he heaved himself onto the first stair, grimacing as his back stung with pain in protest. Even though she knew he didn't want her to, she grabbed him around his bandaged stomach again for extra help.

Sweat had begun to roll down Zuko's forehead by the time they were halfway up, his breathing becoming more strained. She could tell that each and every step was painful for him, and the lack of blood flowing throughout his body had made it difficult to move his muscles. And yet, he still managed to keep going, gritting his teeth as he pushed against the pain. Mai gazed at him in silent admiration, a small smile gracing her features as her own muscles pushed to help him up.

Finally they reached the end of the stairs. They clambered onto the deck, both of them panting from the hard work of the climb as fresh air rushed up to meet them. Mai leaned over, placing her hands on her knees to try and catch her breath, tilting her head away from the cloudy night sky.

Suddenly Zuko tensed beside her, and, as he started to yell out a warning, Mai felt two jabs beneath her shoulder blades. Her body seemed to freeze up, and then she felt herself falling, collapsing onto the metal floor as she yelped in a combination of surprise and pain.

"Mai!" Zuko shouted. Mai opened her eyes weakly to see Zuko leaning over her, his expression a combination of horror and pain as Ty Lee, who most certainly had blocked Mai's chi, flipped away in the background. She saw something flicker in Zuko's eyes, and Mai's own eyes widened as Zuko gritted his teeth, positioning his arms around her paralyzed body to try and pull her up. What was he thinking? He could barely even support himself, let alone her!

"Zuko, no, don—" Mai began, but stopped as she realized that he wasn't trying to pick her up. His arms lifted her only slightly, and, with a small grunt as his back gave a sudden stab of pain, set her shoulders on his lap, cradling her head in his hands. Mai looked up at him through half-closed eyes, examining the way his face was twisted up in sadness, anger, and pain as he tenderly ran his hand through her silky hair.

"Enough," Azula ordered heartlessly, causing the two to look up at her, Mai's expression vulnerable while Zuko's was filled with a cold rage. Mai glanced back at Zuko. Why was he still here? Why didn't he just escape already?

Azula stepped forward, raising a hand, sparks forming at her fingertips. Mai felt Zuko's hands move from her head to her shoulders, his grip tightening around them as he pulled her up higher so that she was sitting in his lap. As soon as he had her positioned, he turned so that his back was facing Azula, his arms wrapped protectively around her as he sheltered her with his own body. Mai gazed up at him, confusedly taking in his fierce, determined expression, the way his marred face had hardened. _He's not going to leave me behind_, she realized. She couldn't believe he would risk his life for her. For the first time ever, Mai wished that Zuko wouldn't care about her, that he would just leave her without a second thought and save himself.

Mai heard Azula laugh chillingly behind them. "You're pathetic, Zuzu," she began insultingly, but as she went on, a sly, conniving tone entered her voice. "Protecting the person that nearly killed you? Even for you, that's a new low."

Zuko's grip on Mai loosened for only the briefest of seconds in surprise, but it was enough. He had been too distracted, gaping at Azula as she told him that Mai had been the one that had hurt him, to notice Ty Lee sneaking up on them. And when his arms released Mai slightly, Ty Lee sprung out, grabbing her right from under his fingertips. She skipped off easily back to Azula with Mai in tow as Zuko got up to his feet with difficulty, confliction clear on his face.

Azula grabbed Mai by the neck, making her cry out as sharp nails dug into her throat, spilling out a few ruby red droplets of blood. Zuko made to sprint over to save Mai, causing Azula to smirk. She held out two of her fingers, forming a bright blue flame in the shape of a dagger at their tips, the edges razor sharp, and held it threateningly close to Mai's throat. Zuko felt his heart skip a beat, stopping in his tracks as he watched Mai cringe back, trying to pull away from the flame.

"Why do you want her to live, Zuzu? Why do you even care?" Azula's eyes were glittering in excitement; she was obviously enjoying this. "Mai tried to kill you. She shot three arrows into your back; she told me so."

Zuko glared at his sister, trying to hide his confusion and uncertainty. Mai could very well _have_ been the one that hurt him. But why would she? It just didn't add up. Why would she shoot arrows into his back, then later come visit him during the night, showing a concern for him that no other human being in the world had?

As if reading his thoughts, Azula sneered, "She tricked you. She gained your trust, and now she's turned on you. She broke you out was so that she could kill you herself when you least expected it, then return back to the Fire Nation with all the glory." Zuko could tell Mai was dying to say something, but Azula had her fire dagger placed so terrifyingly close to her throat that she didn't dare. Instead she gave him a desperate, pleading look, her pale gold eyes fearful.

Zuko stood stock-still, unable to process it all. How could Mai have done that? Did she even do it at all?

Memories flashed through his mind at a nauseatingly fast rate. Meeting Mai for the first time when they were little, the tiniest of blushes on her beautiful pale cheeks. Falling into a fountain on top of her via Azula's pranks. Turning crimson in embarrassment as he handed Mai a rose on Valentine's Day at the palace. Seeing her again for the first time since his Agni Kai after he had been hit with the arrows, tears flowing from her eyes. Just this night, when Mai teased him as he leaned against her, trying to stand, and how pretty she had been when she had glared up at him in annoyance as he pinned her down to the cot. Finally, a single, seemingly insignificant phrase slipped into his reverie, ringing loudly and clearly in his ears.

"I could never hurt you, Zuko."

His face tightened as he decided who he would trust. "Let her go," he ordered in a dark, controlled but dangerous tone.

Azula scowled, clearly disappointed that Zuko hadn't believed her. Zuko's fists clenched tighter as a sadistic, sick smile slithered its way onto Azula's features.

"Fine," she shrugged, her amber eyes glinting. Zuko's eyes widened. If Azula was agreeing with him, that could only mean that she about to—"I'll let her go." Before Zuko could react, Azula had pushed Mai overboard, a scream--and a second later, a loud splash—coming from below as her paralyzed body crashed into the sea.

Zuko shouted out as he ran forward in a mad dash, panic overcoming him quickly. The pain in his back died down until it seemed like no more than a paper cut, fear and anger taking over his body as he thought of Mai, unable to move as she slowly sank into the depths of the open water. Gritting his teeth at the thought, flames erupted from his fists as he charged Azula full-force, thrusting his flaming hand straight at Azula's face. She blocked it quickly but didn't see the second fist aimed at her belly until it was too late. Crying out, she crumpled to the floor in pain. Zuko stood above her, his fists at the ready.

Azula coughed, a few drops of blood spraying out of her mouth. She laughed, wiping her red lips. "Hit me all you want," she grinned coldly. "It won't save her."

Zuko's face contorted in rage, but he forced himself to pull back. He didn't have time to fight her now; he had to save Mai. Quickly he turned to face the edge of the boat, glancing away from Ty Lee's horrified expression to the black waters below.

"_Because I need you,"_ Mai had said.

_I need you too_, Zuko thought. Then he dived headlong into the roiling waters below.

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**A/N: Please review!!**


	6. Lost at Sea

**A/N: Yay, an update! Thank you very much for the reviews; I really appreciate it! **

**I don't own Avatar. Shocker, right?**

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Mai heard a low shout as she sank in the dark water, the air she had in her chest exiting her body as bubbles. She struggled in a panic to get some feeling back in her arms and legs, trying to get her body moving once more so she could swim up, but her muscles were unresponsive. She cried out, her scream coming out muffled in the water as her open mouth filled with the salty liquid. Her lungs straining for air, she gazed desperately up at the surface, her eyes bulging, hoping that by some miracle she would be saved.

A minute later she had lost consciousness, her motionless body falling steadily farther into the dark abyss of the sea.

* * *

Zuko couldn't see Mai.

The water was nearly pitch black without the moon or stars in the night sky to light it, and it only grew darker as he went deeper. His golden eyes stung, the salt in the water irritating them as he plunged farther, scanning the water in a panic. He didn't have much time before Mai would run out of air. He felt his lungs beginning to strain. Before _he_ ran out of air. He swam faster, but yet she was nowhere to be found.

He was going to lose her.

At that thought, he cried out, shooting blasts of fire out of his fists that immediately disappeared in the water surrounding him. _Not Mai_, he begged silently. _Anyone but Mai…_

Suddenly a silhouette caught his eye; it was scarcely visible a few yards below him to the right, sinking away quickly. Immediately he dived towards it, his back beginning to lurch painfully as he moved. As he got closer, he was able to discern the familiar raven black hair, the pale, almost luminescent skin, the delicately carved features…Zuko shot his arm out, resulting in a yanking, painful feeling in his back. He ignored it, grabbing hold of Mai by the shoulder. He pulled her up, his body yearning for oxygen as he held her cold, unconscious body up to his with one arm, the other kept free to help him swim upward. He pushed towards the surface, thankful that Mai's weight was slightly lessened by the buoyancy of the water as his back began to act up again.

He ran out of the last of his air a couple yards below the surface. His wounded body struggling to keep moving, he gave a final kick of his legs, pushing himself above water.

He gasped for breath, his black hair matted down on his forehead, soaked through with salt water. Chest heaving, he looked down at Mai, feeling a painful jab in his heart as saw that she was completely motionless, her eyes closed as if she were asleep. Zuko stiffened, scanning the dark horizon for land, any place he could get to. Azula must have told Mai that they were nearing the Fire Nation. However, Zuko couldn't see a single strip of land anywhere.

_Azula always lies_, he remembered, sickened.

Absorbed in his thoughts, Zuko hadn't noticed the large wave looming behind him. Caught unaware, he was hit full-force by the water, being shoved under by the weight of it crashing down on him. He gripped Mai tightly, determined not to lose track of her as he pushed himself back above the surface, sucking in more air.

Another huge wave was coming. Zuko groaned, swimming away as fast as he could even though he knew it was useless. The wave smashed over him, dunking him into the water and shooting the liquid into his mouth. Bobbing back up, he coughed, spitting out the water as he rubbed the salt out of his eyes with the hand that wasn't clutching Mai, the gritty substance hindering his vision.

Once the blurriness in his eyes had cleared, he was able to see the wide open sea once more. He gritted his teeth, gazing at the bleak horizon. There was no land _anywhere_.

Zuko looked down at Mai, who was completely still, and felt his heart clench in his chest. There had to be land somewhere. He couldn't let Mai die out here. The girl that had helped him when he was hurt, that had turned on Azula for him…There was no way he would allow her to die.

He narrowed his eyes, inspecting the horizon carefully before a third wave threw him below the surface. With effort, he pulled himself and Mai back above water. As he opened his eyes once more, he saw it.

A sandbar. A large buildup of rocky sand was barely visible, the water shallow above it. It was a few hundred yards away, and wasn't exactly what Zuko had been hoping for, but it would have to do.

His expression determined, he began to swim toward it, trying to use the waves that rose and fell behind him to help push him and Mai forward, moving as quickly as possible. His back panged with the movement, wearing him down. Yet another wave smacked down over his head, thrusting him down about ten feet below the surface. He ignored his exhaustion and swam underwater, thus avoiding the waves that crashed above him. He couldn't slow down. Mai's life was on the line.

After a stretch, he popped back above water, breathing heavily. It had begun to rain, icy droplets dripping down on them from the stormy dark clouds above. Zuko grimaced as he caught sight of the sandbar, still about two hundred yards away.

The next couple minutes melded together as a mess of water, pain, fatigue, and determination. His back was killing him; the salt in the water had found its way into the cuts in his back, stinging horribly in irritation. His body was getting increasingly more difficult to move through the water as he swam, and he began to lose stamina at an alarmingly fast rate. By the time he heaved himself up on the sandbar, his wounds had started to bleed again from the salt, leaving a trail of red liquid in the water, and he was close to passing out with exhaustion.

He yanked Mai's limp body up onto the sandbar next to him, laying her down gently in the two-inch deep water that covered the mound of hard sand. Concern and panic flashed in his eyes as he saw that she wasn't breathing.

He put a hand on her face, feeling the clammy skin. "Mai," he whispered, pain crossing his features as her chest failed to rise.

"Come on, Mai, you have to breathe!" His voice was low and intense with panic, his eyes wide with fear and pain. This couldn't be happening. The girl that had risked her life for him…

He knew that it wasn't just because he felt indebted to her for saving him that it hurt him to see her like this. He _cared_ for Mai. He hadn't really understood how much he cared, how much he needed her, until now, as he stared down at her limp, unmoving figure, the possibility of her dying all too real. There had to be a way to save her. _There had to_.

He leaned down, gently placing his fingers under her chin, tilting her head up slightly. Carefully he opened her mouth, and then, with a determined expression, put his lips on hers, breathing air into her body.

He pulled back. Mai remained motionless, completely unchanged.

Zuko cried out in anguish, lifting her weak body and clutching it close to his, squeezing her as the pain and grief set in. Tears began to well up in his unscarred eye as he put her head on his shoulder, nuzzling her silky black hair. _She's gone_. Zuko gritted his teeth, the tears beginning to slip from his good eye as he forced himself to face that fact. _She's really gone._

Suddenly a hacking sound came from Mai, a shudder running through her body. Zuko pulled back, his eyes wide with renewed hope. Mai's eyes were still shut tightly, but she was coughing, spitting out salt water that had been caught in her lungs.

Zuko smiled wider than he had in the span of three entire years. "Mai!" he shouted, joy surging through him. "You're okay!"

Mai shook her head in response, spewing out the last of the water. She wiped the salt from her lips, looking up at him with the beautiful gold eyes he had feared he would never see again. "No…I'm not," she murmured feebly, her voice tremulous.

Zuko's face fell, concern and worry taking over his features instantly. "What's wrong?" he fretted, his voice low and hushed, his eyes inspecting her carefully for any wounds.

Mai looked him dead in the face. "I'm bored."

Zuko's grin returned, and before Mai could react, he had smashed his lips against hers, gripping her tightly in his muscular arms, happiness and relief flooding through his body.

He broke off after a moment, his forehead pressed lightly against hers, their noses barely touching, his eyes closed. "I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, his voice heavy with intense emotion.

Mai kissed him lightly, smiling at him as she pulled back, absently fingering his wet black hair with one hand, stroking his face comfortingly with the other. She shifted her gaze away from him to take in their surroundings. Her smile disappeared.

"Where are we?" she asked, raising her eyebrows until they disappeared completely beneath the bangs that hung over her forehead, the hair completely soaked.

"Umm…" Zuko began, nervously scratching the back of his head. "We're…uhh…kind of in the middle of the sea…"

Mai's eyes widened, the golden orbs flashing as she shot him a disturbed look.

"This sandbar was the only place I could find to rest. There isn't any land nearby." Zuko held up his hands defensively.

Mai scowled. "Azula said we were almost at the Fire Nation—"

"Azula always lies," Zuko interrupted, his face cold.

Mai sighed, nodding in silent agreement. She turned, laying back on Zuko's warm chest. He rested his hand tenderly on her shoulder.

As they stared out at the empty sea around them, rain falling down on their already drenched bodies, Mai murmured, "What do we do now?"

Zuko's hand tightened on her shoulder. "We'll have to find a way out of here."

"How?" Mai glared distastefully out at the water.

"I don't know." Zuko looked down at her, his exhaustion clearly visible. "I don't think I can swim any further."

Mai nodded, her face tightening. "We're just going to have to wait. Hope that someone rescues us." She shivered as a fierce wind cut through her clothes, spraying her with icy drops of rain.

"Yeah," Zuko agreed softly, wrapping his arms around her, slightly heating his hands to warm her. Despite the horrible situation they were in, they both smiled at each other, just glad to be together. Even _if_ it was on a sandbar in the middle of the sea.

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**A/N: Review, please!**


	7. Of Annoyance and Fish

**A/N: Hello again! Again, thanks for the reviews!**

**Alright, chapter 7. This thing is HUGE. Oh, and there's a surprise character appearance in this…((evil grin))**

**I don't own Avatar, but I do own this pencil. If you want it, I'll be selling it on ebay.**

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"A boat!"

Mai woke at Zuko's shout, groaning tiredly as she cracked her eyes open, the bright light of day blurring her vision.

"What now?" She gazed fuzzily up at Zuko. His scarred face swam before her, and she smiled, nuzzling her head against his chest.

His…_chest?_

A bright red blush rose in her cheeks as she realized that she had fallen asleep against Zuko. Her head was buried in his muscled chest, her arms wrapped around his thankfully upright form in a tight embrace. Embarrassed, she scurried back, preoccupying herself by messing with her undone hair, using the thick black locks to shield her burning face. She fumbled around in the pockets of her robes for a few hair ties, hastily beginning to put it up in its usual style. She could feel Zuko's golden eyes staring at her as she messed around with the separate strands, her humiliation making her unusually clumsy and uncoordinated.

The second she was done, he grabbed her by the arm, pulling her up to her feet. "There's a boat!" he exclaimed once again, pointing enthusiastically over at a small fishing boat a medium distance away. Mai gave a silent sigh of relief as she realized that he wasn't going to say anything about how she had fallen asleep in his arms. She blushed again, not wanting to admit that she had actually liked it.

Her eyes flashed in concern as she noticed Zuko beginning to sway slightly next to her, losing his balance slowly but surely. Quickly she grabbed onto his arm, putting it over her shoulder to support him. Zuko's swim through the sea had taken a lot out of him, and surprisingly, having no food or water for two days while being stranded in the middle of the ocean hadn't helped at all.

Zuko glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he leaned against her. Swallowing hard, he looked down at the sand beneath him, his head hung in defeat. "Thanks," he mumbled.

Mai nodded in understanding, tilting her face away. She knew how hard it was for him, how much he hated his current weakness. She could see the anger in his eyes every time he had trouble doing something, and each time, she felt a pang of sympathy for him. She turned her head, peering at him through saddened gold eyes and saw him gritting his teeth in silent rage, infuriated with himself. She gave his hand a little squeeze. "Come on," she urged soothingly. "We have to wave them down."

They began to shout, waving their arms above their heads, but the boat continued to sail away, either not hearing them or not caring enough to turn around. Zuko paused, watching them move farther away, fury emanating from him.

"That's it," he declared angrily, starting to shoot fire upward, the flames a bright beacon against the overcast sky.

Slowly the boat began to turn, heading towards them at a steady pace. Zuko kept a flame burning in his palm so that the people in the boat would know where to go. He glanced over at Mai and saw her looking at him gratefully. He smiled warmly back.

The fishing boat's sails were dropped as it neared the sandbar, slowing it down until it finally came to a halt before them. A small, olive-skinned man leaned over the edge, gazing down at them in obvious surprise.

"Hey, there! You two need help?" he yelled, cupping a hand around his mouth to help amplify his voice.

Mai scowled. "What do you think?" she snapped, gesturing at the empty sea around them.

The portly little man looked blank for a second, but then he shook his head, snapping out of his daze. "Well, come on up, then!" He threw down a rope ladder, the end of it splashing in the muddy water. Zuko waded through the liquid, grabbing onto the side of the ladder and holding it straight. Mai followed him, and as she approached, Zuko held out a pale hand, a small smile gracing his features. Mai blushed, putting her hand on his as she walked forward. Setting her free hand on the ladder, she allowed Zuko to help her up even though she didn't need it.

Once she was up high enough, Zuko began to climb himself, grimacing as his back ached with pain. Mai scaled the ladder quickly, and within ten seconds she was hopping on deck.

Zuko, on the other hand, was struggling. His back felt like it was splitting in half, his muscles straining to hold him up. Sweat rolled down his face, his breathing growing forced. He froze halfway up the ladder, trying to regain his strength.

"Zuko, do you need help?" Mai called down to him, worried. Zuko shook his head vigorously, but Mai could tell that he wasn't going to make it. Quickly she scrambled back down, reaching out for his hand. He hesitated, glaring at her indecisively.

In the end, however, he gave in. Sighing in defeat, he took her hand so she could pull him up. As they began to climb, Mai caught the frustration on Zuko's face. She gave him a sympathetic look, but she did not let go of his hand. Even if he hated her for helping him and making him feel weak, she wouldn't let him fend for himself when he wasn't ready.

Both of them were breathing heavily in exhaustion by the time they clambered onto the boat. Zuko tried to stand up straight, but it was too much for him. He doubled over in pain, blood spilling out of his back again. Mai yelped, grabbing him around the middle before he could fall, then gently lowered him to the floor. He leaned back against the railing of the boat, panting, sweat mixing with the pool of blood on the deck beneath him. Mai knelt down next to him, her expression deeply concerned as she rested a hand on his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

The fisherman looked at them in confusion. "What's wrong with him?"

"He was hurt," Mai stated simply, preoccupied with watching Zuko, trying to calm him down.

"Does he need help? Some bandages maybe?" The man clearly didn't know what to do, his beady dark eyes wide in anxiety.

Zuko gritted his teeth defiantly as he got shakily to his feet, pushing Mai away when she tried to hold him down. "I'm _fine_," he insisted angrily. He wobbled unsteadily, resting a hand on the railing of the boat to support himself.

Mai turned to face the man. "Some bandages would be good." Zuko glared at her.

The old man gave a toothy smile. "Alright. By the way, my name's Doc." Mai scanned him up and down, taking in the fat stomach that stuck out noticeably, uncovered by his vest. He wore a small green cap over his unruly gray hair, a thin beard covering his upper lip and chin.

"I'm…" Mai trailed off, not sure if she should use her real name.

"My name is Lee," Zuko cut in quickly. "And…she's…Anya."

Mai shot him an incredulous look that said, "_Anya?!"_ Zuko just shrugged.

"Well, Lee and Anya, I'm going to go get my brother, Shu. He knows all about bandages." He scurried off, disappearing around the sails.

A second later he reappeared, some bandages clutched in his hands. "Hi there! I'm Shu! My brother said you two needed bandages."

Zuko glared at him, irritated. "I thought you said you were going to get your brother."

"Yeah, that's what Doc told me," the man agreed brightly.

Zuko scowled. "No, I mean that you're the same guy that was here a second ago. You look exactly alike!"

The man smiled, completely undisturbed. "I know we look alike. That's why we wear different hats!" He pointed at the yellow-orange cap that rested on his head.

Mai scoffed. "So? Just because you changed your hat doesn't make you a different person."

"I _didn't_ change my hat." The man grinned as Zuko smacked his forehead in frustration.

Mai shook her head in annoyance. "We'll just take the bandages."

Doc—or Shu—handed over the pieces of cloth, still with a wide smile on his face.

"Thanks," Mai muttered grudgingly as the man walked off. She turned to Zuko, holding up the strips of cloth, but he stepped away.

"I'm _fine_," he repeated angrily, though it didn't seem like his anger was directed at her.

Mai shook her head firmly. "You need fresh bandages. Yours are soaked through; if you don't change them, your wounds will get infected."

Zuko grimaced, still looking furious. "Fine." He made to snatch the bandages from her, but Mai pulled them away.

"_I'm _going to do it," she stated tightly.

"Come on, Mai…" Zuko groaned. She glared at him, her features set in a stubborn expression.

He sighed. "Fine," he grumbled, turning so that his back was facing her to allow her to undo his bandages. She carefully untied the knot that held the fabric in place, pulling the blood-soaked wrappings off of him. As the cloth fell away, the gaping wounds in his muscled back came into view, the angry red cuts standing out against his pale skin. Mai's face tightened as she involuntarily reached forward, gently running her forefinger along the edge of one of his wounds.

She felt his back tighten. "What are you…" he began, his voice strangely quiet.

Mai laid her hand flat over the wound she had been tracing, her palm only barely hiding it from view. When she spoke again, her voice was hushed and wrought with pain. "Don't you know who did this to you?"

Zuko relaxed slightly under her fingers, the tightness in his back letting up. "No…I don't."

Mai moved her hand down lightly over his skin, coming to rest on the second arrow wound. She gritted her teeth as she pulled her arm back, her fingers coved in fresh blood. "I swear," she began, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "If I ever find who did this to you…"

"Mai," Zuko murmured, his voice soft and pained as he turned his head slightly so that Mai could see his scar.

Before either of them could say anything more, a loud voice rang out from the opposite side of the boat. "Hey, you guys must be hungry! Want some fish?"

"Sure," Mai called back, beginning to wrap Zuko in the bandages.

"Alright, then! I'll go get Doc; he's a good fisherman!" The man disappeared, then came back, a green hat on his head and a fishing pole clutched in his hand.

Mai rolled her eyes, then returned to bandaging Zuko, covering the cuts in his back with the white fabric. Tying it tightly, she noticed Zuko's dark silence, the pain in his eyes. She put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it soothingly. She didn't know what was wrong, but then again, she might not need to. Sometimes Zuko just needed to know that someone was there for him.

She leaned forward, placing a light kiss on his cheek. Smiling warmly, she took hold of his hand, leading him over to Doc.

"So," Zuko began as they approached, watching the little man stick a wriggling worm onto his hook. "What were you doing way out here in the middle of the sea?"

Doc shrugged, a hint of sadness marring his usually energetic features. "Well, my village sent me away. They don't want me around for some reason."

"Wow, I can't imagine why," Mai muttered dryly, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I know! It's unbelievable, isn't it?" The man turned back to his fishing line as Mai grabbed Zuko's wrist to stop him from smacking his forehead in irritation.

"Could we fish?" Zuko asked, gesturing at himself and Mai. It was obvious he was itching to do something.

"Sure," Doc grinned. "The fishing lines are in that trunk back there. Do you want me to go get Shu to get them for—"

"NO!" Mai and Zuko shouted at once. Zuko sprinted over to the trunk as fast as possible, grabbing two fishing rods before Doc could do his brother impersonation. He walked back, holding a rod out to Mai.

She glared at it distastefully. "No, thanks." She held up a hand, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

"Why not?" Zuko asked, lowering the rod.

"Because I don't want to touch those nasty worms you guys use as bait," she explained slowly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Zuko shrugged, setting the extra rod on the ground. He took his own rod, and, grabbing hold of a hook, he tried to tie the fishing line around it, but failed spectacularly. His fingers were too big. Repeatedly he attempted to make a knot in the thin little fishing line to keep the hook in place, dropping it all several times.

Mai sighed, crossing her arms over her chest in boredom.

Zuko finally succeeded in tying his knot. With a small smile of accomplishment, he turned to the box of bait. Grabbing hold of one of the slimy worms, he tried to stick it through cleanly with the hook.

The worm made it on, but half of its guts ended up gushing out into a disgusted Zuko's fingers.

Mai was now leaning against the railing of the boat, staring nonchalantly up at the cloudy sky.

Wiping the worm insides off of his fingers, he threw the line in, nearly smacking Doc in the head in the process, but luckily it ended up in the water. Satisfied, Zuko sat down on a wooden crate, waiting for a fish.

And waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

Mai sighed, her stomach grumbling loudly. "This is taking _forever_," she groaned.

Zuko scowled. "Well, it's not like there aren't any fish down there. I can see them, but they won't bite."

Mai froze, an idea forming in her mind. "Pass me that fishing pole."

"I thought you didn't want to—" Zuko began, startled.

"Just pass it," Mai interrupted, rolling her eyes. The light in the already dark sky was disappearing quickly, and she was starving. She unthreaded the line from the pole, then, yanking a stiletto out of her sleeve, she easily tied the line around it. She saw Zuko frown in annoyance at how quickly she had been able to make a knot.

Once she had made sure the knot was tight, she leaned over the railing, her keen eyes searching for the dark forms of fish underwater. She caught sight of one, and, holding the end of the string in one hand and the stiletto in the other, she expertly threw her weapon downward, the sharp projectile hitting her target dead-on, embedding itself in a decent-sized fish. She pulled it up with the fishing line, smirking at Zuko's and Doc's shocked expressions.

As soon as Zuko had gotten his bearings, he demanded angrily, "Why didn't you do that earlier?"

Mai shrugged carelessly. "It just didn't occur to me."

Zuko scowled as Doc began to applaud. "That was _amazing_," he exclaimed, eyes wide in astonishment.

Zuko threw his fishing line back in the water, grumbling about how he could fish just fine as Mai easily caught two more.

As Doc carried the fish to the back of the boat to be cooked in the small fire-pit that was set up there, Mai stepped up to Zuko.

"You can stop now, you know," she murmured softly, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Not until I catch a fish," Zuko snapped, glaring at the water below that was filled with fish that refused to bite.

"Why do you need to? We already have enough."

Zuko turned his head away, completely silent.

She moved a bit closer, concern touching her features as she realized that something else was getting to him. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly, giving his shoulder a light squeeze.

"What's wrong?" Zuko repeated, his voice rising as he whipped his head around angrily. "What's wrong is that I can't do _anything_!" He threw his fishing pole down to the wooden floor, the object clattering loudly against the solid surface. "I'm sick of being weak and helpless and putting you in danger!"

"Zuko, you don't put me in—" Mai began, but Zuko cut her off.

"You nearly _died_, Mai!" he exclaimed, his voice hoarse with pain. Surprised at how bothered he seemed to be by that, Mai took her hand off of his shoulder.

She swallowed hard, her eyes saddened. "Zuko, it wasn't your fault—"

"Yes it was!" He held his face in his hands, his pain horribly clear. He paused, taking a deep breath to regain his composure.

"When we were in the sea…" he began, his voice quiet and agonized. "I could barely swim. It took me forever to get you to that sandbar." He paused, fury causing his muscles to tense as he lifted his head up, gazing at her with tormented golden eyes. "It's a miracle you survived! Because I was so weak, you nearly drowned!"

Mai wanted to say something, but he put his head back in his hands. "I nearly lost you." His voice was thick, emotions pouring out of him like blood. "I'm _not_ going to risk losing you again. I _have_ to regain my strength."

Mai gaped at him, shocked. She had never known how much he cared for her. In fact, she had doubted that he had cared about her at all. And yet, here he was, spiraling into despair because she had almost died. She put a hand gently on his face, turning it so that his tortured eyes met her tender, caring ones.

"I need to be able to do everything I used to be able to," he whispered, his face screwed up in agony as he hung his head, closing his eyes tightly.

She kissed him lightly, their lips only barely brushing against one another. "But Zuko," she pointed out softly as he slowly opened his eyes. "You were _never_ able to fish…"

Zuko gave her an annoyed look, but he couldn't help but smile slightly. He closed the distance between them once more, pulling her into a longer, deeper kiss. She held his face in her hands, kissing him back passionately.

Zuko took hold of her hand, breaking off the kiss gently. Mai smiled slightly. "Come on," she murmured, standing up. Hand in hand, they walked over to the fire Doc had made.

Zuko sat down on the cool wooden deck, pulling Mai along with him, and set her in front of him so she could lean up against him. Mai blushed, laying back on his chest, a content smile curving her pale mouth as Zuko's arms wrapped around her shoulder. He leaned down, his pale lips brushing against her ear as he whispered a single phrase.

"Thank you."

Mai snuggled closer to him in response.

"So…Doc," Zuko began, his voice returning to its normal volume.

"Shu," he interrupted, holding a finger up as if he were explaining something extremely important. "Doc can't cook very well. That's why he asked _me _to make dinner."

Zuko bit his lips, trying to contain his anger. Taking a deep breath, he continued in an exasperated tone, "_Shu_…are we anywhere near the Fire Nation? M—Anya and I want to get to land as fast as possible."

Shu looked up at them, surprised. "The Fire Nation? We're at least a day away."

Mai shifted her gazed down to her feet, anger at Azula seeping through her body.

Zuko, on the other hand, seemed like he couldn't comprehend what the man was saying. He stared at him blankly, eyes wide, mouth agape. "You mean…that for another entire day…we'll be with _you_?"

"Yep!" Shu answered happily, oblivious to the looks Mai and Zuko sent each other. "Just you, and me, and the wide-open sea!" He paused, putting a finger on his chin. "Oh, and Doc, of couse."

As soon as they had finished eating and Doc/Shu had fallen asleep, the two of them were on the lifeboat that had been tied to the side of the boat, rowing away as fast as possible.

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**A/N: Originally I was going to make up a new character for the person that rescued them. I wanted it to be someone that would really get on Mai and Zuko's nerves, and, after a bit of thought, I decided that Doc/Shu would work just fine :)**

**Please review!!**


	8. Surprise

**A/N: Hooray, chapter 8! And it isn't a monsterous size like the last one! Thank you all for the reviews; they made me feel good!**

**I don't own Avatar (insert lame joke here).**

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"That was _definitely _worth it," Mai declared as the sun began to peek over the horizon, turning the water a dark, burning orange. Despite Zuko's protests, she was doing all the rowing; she didn't want to risk Zuko's wounds splitting open again.

Zuko groaned at the reminder. "That guy was infuriating!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air, exasperated. "I don't care if it's going to take us twice as long to get to land as long as we're away from _him_!"

Mai gave a light laugh. "It probably _will_ take twice as long."

Zuko eyed her through the shadowy veil of early morning. "We'll go faster if you let me row for a bit—"

"No," Mai interrupted, causing him to grit his teeth in frustration.

They were silent for a while, the oars making a soft splashing sound each time she lifted them out of the water. The sea had calmed a bit, the waves not quite as high, and a slight breeze ruffled their clothes, blowing Mai's long hair around her face.

Finally Mai broke the silence with a hesitant question.

"Are you nervous?"

Zuko glanced at her. "About what?"

"Going back home to the Fire Nation," Mai continued tenderly, watching as his face hardened.

Zuko looked out at the water, his golden eyes bright in the light of the fiery sun. He swallowed hard, lowering his eyelids as a distant expression came over his face. He shook his head. "No," he murmered, his voice small and saddened. "It's not my home anymore."

Mai momentarily stopped her rowing, the boat slowing down as she slid over to Zuko, putting an arm over his shoulders comfortingly. He closed his eyes, pulling her into his arms so that she was leaning against his chest. His hand ran softly through her hair as she looked up at him with pale gold eyes, her hand resting on his bandaged stomach.

She laid her head back on his shoulder, taking in his warmth. "We're going to have to stay hidden when we get there," she began thoughtfully, her expression slightly contemplative.

She felt a soft kiss on the top of her head. "Yeah," Zuko agreed quietly.

Something changed then; it was a very subtle difference, hardly noticable. But Mai could tell the mood was going from peaceful and serene to almost strained. Something was wrong; she could feel it.

She glanced up at Zuko, beginning to grow worried. Zuko's face was hard as he stared out at the waves, a kind of internal pain flickering in his eyes. She felt his arms tighten around her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

Zuko shook his head after a second, forcing himself to look at her.

"Nothing," he muttered. He loosened his grip on her slightly, swallowing hard. "Nothing's wrong."

Mai looked at him suspiciously, but she let it go. He needed a break; they both did. She closed her eyes, snuggling against his warm body.

"Good," she murmered tiredly, sighing as she began to fall asleep.

Zuko watched her breathing slow as she relaxed, felt her muscles lose all their tension until she was unconcious. He rested his head on hers, shutting his eyes and trying to ignore the knot that had formed in his stomach.

He was wanted by the Fire Nation. His father had ordered that he be killed; no doubt people would be after him. It was dangerous to be going back. But that wasn't what worried him.

He was worried about Mai.

If Mai was with him, then she would be hunted just as ruthlessly as him. She would be seen as an accomplice, and would be sentenced to death just like he had been. Zuko held Mai closer. He knew that she was an excellent fighter, but still…

He had to find a way to protect her. He couldn't let her be killed.

* * *

"Ugh," Mai groaned as they clambered out of the boat two days later. She collapsed onto the sand, exhausted, her arms feeling as if they were going to fall off from all the rowing. "I'm so tired!"

Zuko plopped down next to her, looking a bit annoyed. "You wouldn't be so tired if you had let me row," he pointed out.

Mai rolled her eyes. "On second thought, I'm not _too_ tired." Zuko groaned in irritation.

Mai smiled, flipping onto her side to face him. "We made it, though," she noted.

Zuko didn't smile. "Yeah. We're at the Fire Nation." _Where you could very well die because of me_, he thought. Suddenly he found it difficult to breathe.

Mai sat up, brushing the sand off of her back, completely undisturbed by Zuko's dark mood. She grimaced, clutching her stomach. "I'm _starving_," she moaned.

Zuko sat up beside her, scanning the area behind them warily. The sand grew rockier farther up the beach, leading up to a thin forest of tall, skinny trees. Zuko frowned at the lack of hiding places, but at least there wasn't anyone around.

"Well, let's check back in there for something to eat," he suggested, gesturing back at the woods.

Mai looked back at the foliage skeptically. "I don't see anything edible," she observed, raising her eyebrows at the fruitless trees.

Zuko shrugged, getting to his feet. "We'll have to search. It doesn't look like we have much of a choice." He held out his hand to help her up.

Mai grabbed onto it, standing in the hot sand. They trudged up the beach, beginning to walk through the forest, the nearly leafless trees offering hardly any shade. The sweltering sun burned down on them full-force as they inspected the bare plants for food.

"This is pointless," Mai said dryly after a good fifteen minutes of searching. She swatted carelessly at a fly that had been buzzing around her head.

Zuko was glaring at his surroundings, clearly displeased. "I've lived out in the woods before with my uncle, but we've _always_ been able to find food."

Mai raised an eyebrow at him. "_You_ lived in the woods? I find it hard to believe that you were able to find food." She grinned slyly, then continued in a teasing tone, "What did you do, steal it?"

Mai's eyes widened when he looked away, guiltily silent.

"You _did_ steal?" she inquired sharply.

"It was the only thing I could do," he muttered darkly, still not looking at her.

Mai's eyebrows remained raised in disbelief, but she didn't say anything more. She had never thought Zuko would steal; he was so wrapped around the idea of honor. But then again, if he was starving, he might not have had a choice.

Mai snapped out of her thoughts as she caught sight of some distant buildings through the trees. "A town," she stated unenthusiastically, even though she was smiling at the discovery. She rubbed her empty stomach hungrily. "We could probably find some good food there—"

"No," Zuko snapped, his expression fierce. "We can't go into a town."

Mai scowled. "Why not?"

"Because the Fire Lord wants me dead!" he exclaimed. "People will attack us when they recognize me."

"No one will recognize you," Mai defended. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she wanted to take them back.

Zuko's face screwed up in anger and pain. "Of course people will recognize me!" he shouted. " I don't have the sort of face that people forget easily!" He pointed forcefully at his scar.

Mai looked down, ashamed of herself. "Sorry," she mumbled. "But we need to get some food. Why don't I just go?"

"No," Zuko stated firmly, his expression stubborn.

Mai rolled her eyes. "What's the problem now? No one will recognize _me_!"

Zuko frowned anxiously. "It isn't safe for you to go into a town alone," he fretted.

Mai crossed her arms over her chest angrily. "You don't think I can take care of myself?"

"No, I know you can!" Zuko said quickly. "I'm just…worried."

Mai had to admit that Zuko did look afraid for her. He was wringing his hands nervously, his eyes deeply concerned. Mai stepped forward, setting a hand on the side of his face.

"I'll be fine," she mumured soothingly, fingering the edge of his scar. She smiled slightly as she walked away towards the town, leaving Zuko alone in the woods.

* * *

As Mai walked into the mess of buildings, she immediately saw why Zuko had been worried.

The village was run-down, the dirt roads littered with garbage, the ramshackle houses and buildings tiny and squished together on the sides of the streets. Poor townspeople loitered around on the curbs, some of them sharpening rusted old swords. Mai gulped as a man with a surprisingly well-kept dagger lifted his head to glare at her venomously.

She took a deep breath. She didn't need to be scared; she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She reached into her sleeve, staring right back at the man with the dagger as she pulled out a stiletto, twirling it casually around her finger. The man's eyes widened, then his face returned to an angry scowl.

Mai walked through the streets, examining the buildings made of rotting wood for a shop. The entire place gave her the creeps. It was deathly silent, and she could feel every single person's gaze boring into her like a drill. _Did_ they know who she was? She quickened her pace as she caught sight of a small shop stand to the right, near where the man with the dagger was sitting on the curb.

"Excuse me," she began, walking up to the old storeowner. She barely had time to glance at him before something else caught her eye.

Fire Nation wanted posters were nailed against the wooden support beams of the shop stand. There was a poster of Jeong Jeong, the deserter; the Blue Spirit, who Mai was sure was just a myth; Zuko, who she cared about so much; and…

Herself.

Mai gasped as she saw her own face staring back at her from the yellowing paper, adrenaline starting to flow through her veins. The Fire Lord must have already heard about what she had done. Mai gritted her teeth. She needed to get out of the town _immediately_.

But it was too late. The shop owner's gaze flickered from her to the poster, recognition flashing in his eyes. Before Mai could react, he had jumped over his shop stand's table of goods, pulling a long knife from his belt.

Mai cried out, backpedaling quickly, dodging the stab of the man's weapon. She turned, about to race out of town, but ran headlong into another man, the one that had been staring at her earlier. She yelped as he latched onto her wrists, holding her in place. She struggled and kicked, unable to reach her weapons as she tried to free herself, but she couldn't break away from the man's iron grip.

He twisted her around, pinning her arms to her back, making her yell in pain. The shop owner stepped closer, a sick smile playing on his lips as he pointed his knife at her. Mai froze, fear leaving her incapable of moving. These people were going to kill her; they were obviously desperate for money, and the Fire Lord would definitely have a heafty sum on the line as a reward for her death.

The man was only two feet away from her. He poised his knife, pulling his arm back, preparing to plunge it through her body.

Mai squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the pain that would make her world disappear.

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**A/N: Yeah, I really **_**am**_** going to stop there. :) What can I say? I like writing cliffhangers.**

**Please review!!**


	9. Saved?

**A/N: Sorry about the cliffhanger last chapter; I wish I could say that I won't do it again, but then I'd be lying…**

**Anyway, thank you all for the reviews:) I enjoy reading them!**

**I don't own Avatar. No. Freaking. Duh.**

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"Mai!"

The familiar voice resounded in Mai's ears, her eyes flashing open in a combination of astonishment and relief.

"Zuko?" she called incredulously, her eyes wide in disbelief as she saw him running towards them, leaving a cloud of dust behind him as he pounded down the streets. Even though he was still bit of a distance away, Mai could clearly see his fierce expression, the bright flames burning on his fists.

The man that had been only seconds away from stabbing Mai to death growled angrily, turning away from his victim to face the intruder, his long knife held at the ready.

"Zuko, stop!" Mai cried, fear prominent on her features. He was going to run right into the man's weapon…

Zuko obeyed, skidding to a halt a few yards away, seeming to have to force himself to do so. Enraged, he glared at the man with a frightening amount of hatred and, much to Mai's surprise, yanked a pearl dagger from his belt and held it in front of himself protectively. _Since when did he carry weapons?_ Mai wondered. The only weapons she had ever seen him with were his broadswords, but she had doubted he knew how to use them.

"Let her go," Zuko ordered, his voice dangerously low. His expression was rock-hard with barely contained rage, his muscles fully flexed in an attack position.

The man was gaping at him in recognition, his knife pointing at Zuko to keep him at bay. "Prince Zuko," he breathed, shocked.

Zuko ignored him, beginning to advance on the man slowly, decreasing the space between them one step at a time. He shot a quick glance at Mai, scanning her up and down for any wounds, then shifted his gaze to scowl at the man holding her arms behind her back, rendering her helpless. He faced the man with the knife once more, gripping his dagger tightly as they began to circle one another.

"Let. Her. Go," he repeated, spacing the words out for emphasis, his voice rising as his temper flared uncontrollably. Mai shuddered at the ferocity burning in his golden eyes. She had never seen him so angry and afraid.

His opponent merely laughed. "I don't think so. I'll get quite a reward for her death." He eyed Zuko, a sick smile playing on his lips. Zuko's teeth gritted. "And I'll get twice as much for yours," he deducted aloud, seeming contemplative. Mai screamed as the man lunged forward, stabbing out with his knife.

Zuko dodged swiftly out of the way, then, spinning his dagger between his fingers with an expertise she didn't know he had, he threw the weapon, the sharp blade cutting into the man's hand before burying itself in the wooden wall behind them, the metal quivering from the impact. Roaring with pain, the man dropped his knife, clutching his bleeding hand in agony. Zuko dashed forward, aiming a punch at the man's stomach, but, much to his displeasure, the man grabbed onto his wrist, swinging him forcefully to the ground, Zuko's head smacking onto the dirt. The burly man picked his knife back up, nearing Zuko's lying form with his weapon pointing down at him, about to stick him through. Zuko twisted out of the way just in time, the blade stabbing into the earth only an inch away from his head.

As he got to his feet, flames beginning to burn once more on his fists, Mai noticed the grip of the man holding her had loosened slightly as he watched the fight. She smiled wryly. That should be enough for her to escape. She leaned forward, pulling away from the man to put a bit of space between them. Gritting her teeth, she took a deep breath, then, bracing herself, kicked back at the man, hitting him hard between the legs. He cried out, crumpling to the ground in intense pain. She whipped her head around, trying to find Zuko as she stepped away from the groaning man.

Zuko was on the other side of the street, now in a full-fledged fistfight with the man. Both of them had lost their weapons, Zuko's dagger still embedded in the wooden frame of a house's wall and the man's knife thrown to the side. He ducked a punch aimed at his face, and, as he did so, he shot a blast of fire at the man's stomach, shoving him backward. Zuko glanced over to her, relief brimming in his eyes as he saw that she was free. Shooting one last fireball at the man, he yanked his pearl dagger out of the wood, dashing over to Mai and grabbing onto her hand tightly, pulling her along.

"We've got to get out of here," he muttered quickly, trying to push her in front of him as his ears prickled with the sounds of heavy, pounding footsteps behind them and the tell-tale clang of metal. Mai turned her head around as she ran, catching sight of the two men, already recovered and back on their feet, chasing after them. A few other money-hungry townspeople were getting off of the curb to join them in their pursuit, a large assortment of weapons clutched in their hands.

"Down here," Mai said hurriedly as an onslaught of arrows zipped through the air, tugging Zuko down a thin alley between a house and a small shopstand. As she turned the corner, she heard a sort of whizzing sound before feeling a sharp, stinging pain in her left arm, just above her elbow. She grimaced, trying to ignore it. She must have bumped against the corner of the wall, she guessed. She continued her sprint down the alley without another thought about it, pulling Zuko behind her.

Leaping over a few barrels of trash that had been thrown carelessly onto the ground, they reached the end of the alley, leading straight to the small stretch of open land that was between the town and the woods. They rushed into the foliage, the angry yells of the townspeople ringing out behind them as they dodged the trees, jumping over stones and roots that jutted up from the ground. Mai was panting, sweat rolling down her face, her legs feeling strangely stiff and heavy. That was weird. Usually she didn't have much of a problem running at all. She looked over to Zuko. He seemed to be doing fine, his breathing normal for their current speed. She smiled slightly. He was beginning to recover quite nicely from his wounds.

They continued to sprint through the woods, Mai starting to lag noticeably behind Zuko. She gave a sigh of relief when he slowed his pace down for her. The sounds of the villagers grew fainter and fainter until the only things to be heard were their own feet stamping in the dirt and the heaviness of their breathing.

"Zuko…can we…please…stop?" Mai gasped, feeling more than just exhausted. Something was wrong; she had never felt this weak before. Her stomach was churning with nausea, her body feeling as if it were shutting down. Her left arm was aching painfully, and she couldn't understand why.

Zuko stopped running as quickly as possible, his eyes strewn with worry as he took in her flushed face and the intense fatigue on her features. "Are you alright?" he asked sharply, setting a hand lightly on her shoulder.

His eyes widened in horror as he looked down at her left arm. Before Mai could move, he had grabbed onto it, causing Mai to hiss painfully as he inspected it with a terrified expression.

Mai gazed at her arm for the first time since it had started to hurt, and as she did, she realized just how obvious the cause for her pain was.

A dart was embedded in her arm, a thin trail of blood oozing out of it. The skin surrounding it was irritated, a sickly greenish tint coloring the usually pallid surface. Zuko pulled it out carefully, examining its tip fearfully as Mai began to lose the last reserves of her energy.

"Oh, no," he murmured softly, panic etched on his features.

"Wh-what's…" Mai began, starting to slip out of her consciousness. "…wrong?"

Before Zuko could answer her, she found herself falling, the world blurring before her and fading to black. She heard Zuko shout, felt his hard arms catching her around the middle before she could hit the ground, smelled his warm, smoky scent as he held her closer to him.

Within the next second all feeling had disappeared entirely, her mind and body completely lost to unconsciousness.

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**A/N: Another cliffhanger. You guys are going to hate me. Ah well…**

**Please review anyway:)**


	10. Poison and Shopping

**A/N: Hello! Thanks very much for the reviews, everyone!**

**There is NO cliffhanger this chapter! I'm very proud of that :)**

**Anyway, I don't own Avatar, blah, blah, blah.**

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Zuko fell to his knees, internal pain surging through him as he gazed down at the unmoving girl cradled in his arms. He laid her limp body gently on the rocky earth beneath them, scanning her up and down quickly in a panic. She was completely still, hints of pain marring her normally expressionless face. Her eyebrows were knotted together, her teeth gritted, her muscles strangely tight. Zuko reached out, his hand skimming across the smooth skin of her cheek, wincing at how cold her body was.

His gaze traveled back down to her arm, and once again he felt a terrible, stinging pain in his chest as he took in the small, needle-size hole that punctured her arm, the web-like, green hue of the poison running through her widening slowly but surely. Zuko's face tightened as he bit his lips, trying to push back the panic that had taken over him. He had to stop the poison from getting any farther if he would even have a chance of saving her. But was it already too late?

There was only one thing he could possibly do. Gritting his teeth in determination, he moved to her side, taking hold of her arm as he knelt back down. He swallowed hard, then, cautiously, he put his mouth to the tiny opening in her arm, pinching the skin around it to make it easier to suck out the poison. Zuko grimaced as the first few drops of it slipped through his lips, the bitter taste of death tingling on his tongue. He pulled back, wretching as he spat it out on the ground, the horrible taste still remaining in his mouth.

It was only through sheer willpower that he was able to put his lips back on Mai's arm to suck more of the deadly toxin out. He couldn't let her die, not because of him.

For five excruciatingly long minutes he sat there, trying to get out as much of the venom as possible. Each time it entered his mouth he felt himself gag. It was the most horrendous taste in the world, burning in his mouth and eating away at the skin on the insides of his cheeks. Only the thought of Mai dying, being lost forever, drove him on. He began to take on a sort of cycle; he would suck out as much poison as possible, then, when he couldn't take it anymore, he would spit it out, hacking the wretched substance onto the ground, then start the horrible process all over again.

Finally the cut in Mai's arm ran dry of the toxins, leaving Zuko unable to get any more out of her. He pulled back, leaning over her as he held his breath in suspense, his expression apprehensive.

Mai appeared to be unchanged, her eyes still closed, her expression remaining painstaken. The only real difference was that the skin around the puncture wound in her arm had lost a bit of its green hue, but the discoloration was still there. Zuko grimaced, his face stiffening. He had gotten a good deal of the poison out, but it would only be enough to subdue its effects. The rest of the toxic substance had already made it into her bloodstream, was at that very moment flowing through her veins to various parts in her body.

_What can I do now?_, Zuko wondered, panic and grief gripping him tightly, the hopelessness of his situation becoming horribly clear. He lifted Mai gently, holding her up to his chest as tears began to well up in his eyes.

There had to be a way to save her. He _refused_ to let her die.

* * *

"Uggh…" 

Mai groaned as she began to slowly awaken, feeling fatigued beyond belief. Her arm still hurt horribly, pulsing steadily in pain, but it didn't seem as intense as before. She grimaced as she cracked her eyes open, the dark area around her blurred and swirling through her currently misty gaze.

"Mai?" a voice called. Mai's eyes widened, her expression wary as her sore muscles flexed. The voice wasn't recognizable at the moment; her hearing was warped, everything echoing and yet muffled at the same time. Mai thought it was Zuko, but she didn't know for sure and she hated that. She fingered a knife in her sleeve, peering intensely through her hazy vision at the form leaning over her.

"How are you feeling?" the quiet, resounding voice continued. Mai was able to discern short, raven black hair and pale skin, which all fit under Zuko's description. But there was a big part of his features that was missing.

In the midst of all the shades of color swimming about in her vision, there wasn't the slightest hint of blood-red, the color of Zuko's scar.

Mai gasped, coming to the conclusion that this was someone else entirely. She wasted no time in throwing the knife in her sleeve straight at him, jumping to her feet.

Of course, Mai hadn't been able to see very clearly at all, so the knife ended up hitting something far off in the distance. Her legs were still rubbery and weak as well, causing her to collapse almost immediately. She grunted angrily as she felt the stranger's hands catch her before she hit the ground.

"Get off me!" she snarled, her voice thick and unrecognizable even to herself.

"Mai, it's me!" the voice whispered harshly, his grip tightening around her shoulders. "It's Zuko!"

Mai blinked hard, trying to see straight. "How can I tell?" she mumbled almost incoherently.

He lifted one hand from her shoulder, reaching up to the left side of his face. Mai peered carefully at him through cloudy eyes as he slowly began to unwrap some sort of cloth off of his head. When the fabric was finally pulled away, Mai was able to see the familiar shade of red covering the side of his currently blurry face. Mai smiled warmly in relief, throwing her arms around him happily.

She felt his hand brushing through her hair, his skin pleasantly warm and familiar as he nuzzled her affectionately. "Are you okay?" he questioned softly, the faintest bit of worry catching his voice.

Mai frowned slightly. "Oh, I'm just super!" she exclaimed sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I can't see straight and my arm feels like it's going to fall off. I've never been better!"

Zuko chuckled lightly in her ear, holding her closer. She could feel his muscles relaxing in relief.

"What happened, anyway?" she asked as she turned around, leaning her back against Zuko. He wrapped his strong arms around her, warming her entire body.

"You were hit with a poisoned dart," he began, a touch of pain crossing his features and worming its way into his voice. "I sucked as much of it out of your arm as I could, but it wasn't enough." Mai's eyes widened slightly. He had done that?

"So I set off for a village or town," he continued, unabated. "Obviously we couldn't go back to the one we were at earlier, so I had to do some searching. After a while, I found a small place, not too far away. I hid you out here, then ran in to find an antidote for you. I gave it to you, and now you're awake," he finished simply. _Boy, does he know how to shorten a story_, Mai thought dryly.

Suddenly she realized something. "Wait, how did you go into a village without being caught? Wouldn't people have tried to capture you?"

"That's why I was wearing this," Zuko explained, rewrapping the left side of his face in the white cloth that had confused Mai earlier. "I took some extra bandages from that Doc guy, just in case."

Mai looked at him skeptically. Her sight was beginning to clear now, but she was still only barely able to tell that his scar was completely hidden. It did help to disguise him, she decided. After all, it had fooled _her_ when she had first woken up.

"Alright," she murmured, snuggling closer to Zuko's warm chest. "But when it's just you and me around, I want you to take that off."

Zuko seemed taken aback. "I thought you'd like it better if you couldn't see my scar…"

"There's nothing wrong with it," Mai declared. She could have said a number of other things, like how she thought his scar made him look ruggedly handsome, but she wasn't about to admit _that_.

Zuko slowly unraveled the cloth from around his head, pulling it off to reveal his scar once more. Mai smiled, then lifted herself slightly and placed a light kiss right on the deforming burn. Zuko smiled sadly at her as she leaned back against him, closing her eyes tiredly. Zuko watched as she began to fall asleep once more in his arms, her expression lightened with a content smile.

As soon as she was completely still with slumber, he carefully slid out from under her, laying her down gently on the rocky floor. He had hidden her in a cave near town, close to the edge of a thin forest. Tree branches hung over the entrance of the cavern, shielding them from view, and the cave was dark and shadowed to help conceal them. All in all, the perfect hiding place.

Zuko ran a hand tenderly against Mai's arm. She was freezing cold, the skin like ice. He pulled off his robe, leaving him with only a thin, long-sleeved tunic to keep his upper body warm, then laid it over Mai, covering her with the fabric. He set his hands on the clothing, heating it with firebending to stop her from shivering. Smiling the same, saddened smile he had given earlier, he stood up, turning away from her and padding quietly out of the cave.

Wrapping the bandages he had taken from Doc around his head again so that his scar was completely hidden but the right side was left exposed, he set off through the woods. They still didn't have any food, and Zuko knew that with a town this close by, Mai would refuse to go scavenging through the forest.

He stepped over a protruding root as the trees began to thin out, mulling the day's events over and over again in his mind. He couldn't believe he had nearly lost Mai…again. And again, it had all been because of him.

_If only she wasn't already wanted by the Fire Nation_, Zuko thought, his face hard.

Zuko stepped through the last of the foliage, his golden eyes scanning the buildings ahead. This village wasn't as poor as the last one, the buildings more evenly spaced and better built. All the same, it didn't stop him from being careful.

He snuck into the town through a small, dark alley, coming onto the main road near a medium-sized vegetable stand. The streets were crowded with smiling faces, young children holding their parents' hands and pointing at the candy shops, merchants bartering with one another, a few gamblers playing a game of cards. Zuko stood out like a sore thumb with his dark, cautious expression and one side of his serious face wrapped in white cloth.

He was walking down the street, searching for a stand selling something that Mai might actually eat, when a small item caught his eye.

A beautiful red ribbon necklace with gold trim was resting on the counter of a well-stocked jewelery stand. The small, golden pendant that was attached to the middle of it had been carved into the Fire Nation insignia, the metal shining as brightly as a flame in the late afternoon sun. A small smile crept onto Zuko's features as he stepped towards the stand, picking up the necklace carefully, as if he were afraid it would break if he put even the slightest bit of pressure on it. As he looked down at it, he noticed that there was thin, black lace sewn over the crimson ribbon. Zuko's smile widened. It had all of Mai's favorite colors. He examined it closer, considering it. It _was_ beautiful. Maybe he would get it for her—

"Who are you marrying?" a low voice asked suddenly, making Zuko jump. The plump man behind the counter had been watching him silently the whole time, a wry smile resting on his thin lips.

"Marrying?" Zuko repeated, eyes wide and uncomprehending.

"That's an engagement necklace you're holding," the bearded man explained, gesturing down at the piece of jewelry in Zuko's hands with a short, stubby finger.

"A _what_?" Zuko dropped the necklace immediately, jumping back from it as if it were red hot.

The small man chuckled. "You didn't expect that, huh?" He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the wooden counter as he took the necklace, fingering it absently. "Who were you going to get it for?"

Zuko's face turned bright red as he tilted his head away. "A…girl."

The man grinned slyly. "Is she pretty?"

Zuko looked down as he visualized Mai's face, the smooth, angelic pale skin, the silky black hair, her kind gold eyes, her graceful build…"Yes," he breathed. "She's beautiful."

The man nodded, seeming satisfied. "You like her?"

Zuko faced him, looking him dead in the eyes. "Yes," he agreed, his voice small and distant. "I like her a lot." He looked down quickly, wringing his hands anxiously in embarrassment. The man raised his eyebrows suggestively, urging him to confess more. Zuko glanced up at the man's open, unjudging expression and took a deep breath.

"Maybe even a little more than that," he admitted, his voice so quiet that the shopowner wasn't even sure he had heard it.

The man across from him smiled widely. "Well, if you don't know how to tell her your feelings, this necklace would say it just fine." He put his hand over the piece of jewelry and slid it slowly over the wooden counter, lifting his hand when it was near the edge to reveal it once more.

Zuko eyed it carefully, reluctant to pick it up again. "I don't know…" he began, his expression hesitant.

"Why not?" The shop owner raised his bushy eyebrows.

"It's…complicated," Zuko told him truthfully. Even though he cared for Mai, cared for her more than anyone else, they couldn't be together. She was in danger every second she was with him. If she were to die because of him, he would never forgive himself.

The man shook his head, a smile slipping across his wrinkled face. "Come on," he urged, tapping the necklace lightly with his forefinger. Zuko looked down at it, his face tightening. "Let her know how you feel."

Zuko bit his lips, contemplative. After a long, long minute, he spoke, his voice firm and decisive.

"How much is it?"

* * *

Zuko's scent filled Mai's nostrils as she slowly began to drift back into consciousness, her body feeling pleasantly warm. She smiled, a light blush coloring her cheeks as she guessed that Zuko was next to her. She rolled over, her eyes fluttering open as she prepared to greet him, but she stopped herself. 

"Zuko?" she called, seeing no one beside her. She propped herself up on her elbows, her luckily clear eyes scanning the cave she was in. Worry fluttered in her stomach when she realized that he was nowhere to be found. Had he been captured while she had been sleeping?

She glanced down, catching sight of Zuko's outer robe lying over her. She smiled slightly, both in relief and gratitude. That's why she had been so warm. Plus, if he had taken the time to put his robe around her, then he had probably just left momentarily. She heard her stomach growling. _Hopefully to get food_, she thought dryly.

She pulled the robe around her, holding the fabric up to her nose and breathing in its scent. It smelled like leaves burning in the autumn, crisp and cool, yet warm at the same time. She loved that smell. Zuko's smell. Her face flushed at the thought.

She laid back down, the robe still wrapped tightly around her body, falling back asleep to the comfortingly familiar scent of Zuko.

* * *

"That doesn't look fresh to me," Zuko insisted, a touch of anger flashing on his features. 

For the past fifteen minutes he had been arguing with the store owner of a small meat stand over a piece of chicken. The meat looked a bit old and rotten to him, but the salesman seemed postive that Zuko was mistaken.

"No, it's perfect! It's _supposed_ to look a little older! This particular breed of chicken is meant to age a bit before it's eaten. There's more flavor that way." The jittery man pointed at the slab of meat meaningfully.

Zuko frowned, his temper flaring. "That isn't fresh! Unless you can find me something that won't make me sick, I'm out of here!"

The scrawny little man started spitting out a rebuttal, his voice fast and almost desperate, but Zuko wasn't listening. A conversation going on at the shop right next to them had caught his attention, and Zuko's eyes widened at what it was about.

"You can take that wanted poster down, you know," a man's voice was saying. Zuko glanced over at the stand out of the corner of his eye. A customer with darkly tanned skin and a thin, wispy beard was pointing at one of the several yellowing pieces of paper tacked onto the support beams of the shop.

"Whose? That Mai girl's?" The shop owner tore it from the wood, his beady black eyes appearing confused. Zuko felt his heart thumping nervously in his chest.

"Yeah. She's already been killed," the customer explained. "She was hit with a poisoned dart; there's no way she's still alive."

The shop owner stared down at the paper, still looking uncertain. "How do you know?"

"Fire Lord Ozai already received the message by hawk. And I figure, if the Fire Lord thinks it's true, then it probably is," the customer deducted.

The shopowner shrugged as he tossed the poster into the waste basket, seeming to believe him. Zuko's eyes remained wide as he processed the newfound information. Everyone thought Mai was dead. No one would be after her anymore. Zuko smiled in relief, feeling a huge knot of worry that had been in his chest for days unravel.

In less than a second his anxiety had returned. People were still after _him_, though. If Mai was around when he was, then he would be putting her at risk.

Zuko's face was grim as he realized what he had to do. He knew it would hurt Mai, but he didn't have much of a choice.

He had just been given a chance to save her. There was no way he was about to pass it up.

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**A/N: ****Please review!!**


	11. The Necklace

**A/N: I'm back! Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed :) Now, on to chapter 11.**

**I don't own Avatar…yet. Bwahahahaaa….**

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"I'm exhausted," Mai moaned, shivering as she nuzzled closer to Zuko's warm chest, closing her pale gold eyes.

The dark, starless night sky hid their surroundings outside the mouth of the cave in a shadowy veil. A light, cool breeze whistled through the foliage, rustling the leaves and branches of the trees. But inside their little shelter, it was nice and warm thanks to the toasty fire Zuko had made. The firelight danced on the remainders of the food Zuko had brought from town, the apple cores and half-eaten loaves of bread carelessly strewn across the damp floor of the cavern.

With her stomach finally filled, Mai was content to lean against Zuko and drift slowly asleep.

Zuko smiled absently, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. "If you're so tired, maybe you should sleep," he suggested, grinning wryly at her.

Mai's eyelids barely cracked open, just enough for Zuko to see her rolling her eyes. "Wow, I never would have thought of that."

Zuko chuckled softly as she closed her eyes once more. Mai yawned loudly, breathing in his scent as she snuggled against him. As soon as she did so, however, her eyes flashed back open. Now that she was closer to him, she could feel Zuko's muscles, strangely tight and tense against her. She glanced up at him worriedly.

"Are you alright?" she asked sharply, looking up at his hardened expression, the way his jaw was set. He was staring off into space, his golden eyes distant and almost pained, his mind somewhere else entirely. As she watched, she saw the tiniest hint sadness flicker on his expression.

"Zuko?" she called again, uneasy.

He shook his head roughly, snapping out of his reverie. He shifted his gaze back to her, forcing a smile as he did so. "I'm fine," he assured her as convincingly as he could. "Get to sleep."

Mai scowled at his obvious lie, but nodded. She was much too tired to argue with him now; fatigue sat like a heavy weight on her chest, anchoring her to the floor. She closed her eyes once more, sleep taking hold of her exhausted body easily, bringing her into a much awaited half-conscious state.

Zuko's low, saddened voice broke into her subconsciousness, his voice distant and almost unrecognizable.

"I found out in town that no one is after you anymore," he murmured softly, his breath puffing slightly against her ear. "Everyone thinks you're dead."

"Hmm," Mai mumbled, not really listening. She was _so tired_…

"People are still after me, though," Zuko added, stressing the words to help get his point across.

"Mmm," Mai moaned softly, sleep causing her mind to begin shutting down.

The last thing she heard before slipping into unconsciousness was a single sentence, said so quietly that Mai wasn't sure if it was Zuko saying it or merely a figment of her imagination.

"I'm sorry, Mai."

* * *

The first thing Mai noticed when she awoke was the dank scent of the cave. 

That was strange. Usually she smelled Zuko, whether it be because he was beside her or he had put his robe over her. But today there was nothing but the metallic, moist air of her surroundings.

Mai groaned as she propped herself up on her elbows, blinking furiously to clear her vision. She scanned the cave quickly, her gaze brushing over every surface. The food from yesterday was still littered on the floor, the burnt soot of the fire also remaining where it had been. But something very important was missing.

Zuko was gone.

Mai's eyes widened, her head swiveling back and forth like crazy to try and find him as she got up on her knees. Where was he? Had he just left momentarily? Had he been captured?

But, she realized, it couldn't have been either of those things. Looking over at the side of the cave, it was obvious what had happened. Every last thing that Zuko had was gone, his supplies and clothing absent from the cave. He must have taken it all with him, and if he had had the time to pack, then he hadn't been captured. Nor would he have taken it all if he was just going to leave for bit. Mai felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she processed this, the sudden comprehension making her dizzy.

Zuko had abandoned her.

She shook her head vigorously, refusing to accept that horrible truth. _Zuko wouldn't do that_, she tried to assure herself, pain etched on her features. _He wouldn't_…

Maybe he would. Maybe she had misinterpreted things. Perhaps he never actually cared about her. He had only stuck around because he had felt indebted to her for saving his life. But now that that debt was repaid, now that he had saved her life in return, he didn't need to stay any longer. Mai bit her lip so hard that a few drops of blood oozed out. That was all it had ever been. A matter of honor. A single tear rolled down her pale cheek as she stood up, trying to fight back the pain.

As she got up, however, she heard something clatter to the ground. She glanced downward, and as she did so, her eyes widened in disbelief.

A necklace was lying on the ground beside her. She bent down, picking it up carefully to examine it, her face stunned.

It was undoubtedly the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen, with only her favorite colors. The red ribbon was covered in thin black lace, gold thread sewn along its edges. An expertly carved pendant hung at its middle, shaped into the Fire Nation insignia. She knew what this was.

An engagement necklace.

Her grip around it tightened, her fingernails cutting into her skin as a flood of anger, confusion, and happiness drowned her. Why did he leave it? Why would Zuko abandon her, but then leave her an engagement necklace, the ultimate sign of love? It didn't make any sense.

As she stared down at the piece of jewelry, Zuko's words from the night before came back to her, the sentences that she hadn't really thought about at the time now seeming horrifyingly suggestive.

"_No one is after you anymore,"_ he had said. Mai's eyes widened, understanding beginning to creep up on her.

"_People are still after me."_ Mai gritted her teeth as she held her head in her hands, hating herself for not catching his meaning earlier.

"_I'm sorry, Mai."_

Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched the necklace tightly. He had left to protect her, to keep her safe. He _did_ care about her. But didn't he understand that _she _cared about _him_ too? That she would be worried about him? How could he be so stupid?

Tears cascading down Mai's cheeks, she brought the necklace up, fastening it around her neck carefully. She was _going_ to find him. She wouldn't let him face his pursuers alone.

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**A/N: Yeah, this chapter was pretty short. Anyway, please review!!**


	12. The Assassins

**A/N: I'm back! Thank you all for the nice reviews; I appreciate it! This chapter has three new characters in it…**

**I don't own Avatar…because…I just…don't.**

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Zuko was _not_ an easy guy to track.

Mai had been circling mindlessly through the woods for hours, searching for any sign that he had gone through; broken twigs, footprints, something that had belonged to him. But there was nothing, not a single hint as to which way he had gone.

Mai moaned hopelessly, leaning back against a thick tree trunk and sliding slowly to the ground. She was never going to find him.

A single tear rolled down her cheek, her pale hand fingering the golden pendant of the necklace that was the last bit of Zuko she had left.

* * *

_Why can't I stop thinking about her?_

Zuko had left Mai as soon as she had fallen asleep, so as to gain some headway before she might try and follow him. He had been especially careful not to leave any trace of his passing behind; Mai would certainly catch on to even the smallest detail. She was very smart…and pretty…and kind…

Zuko shook his head roughly, trying to rid himself of his thoughts of her. He had gone to protect her, he reminded himself. If he hadn't left, she might have died. He grimaced at the thought. Yes, it had definitely been for the best.

But still, he missed her. Even though he had only left her a few hours ago, his heart was already starting to ache. Mai had been by his side for a few weeks now, and to have her gone…it felt like half of himself had been torn away. And the worst part was that he might never have her back. Ever.

Zuko gritted his teeth, pushing the pain back as a small wooden hut came into view through the thick foliage on his left, a dark billow of smoke rising from the skinny chimney out into the heavily clouded sky. Quickly he reached into his robe, pulling out the bandages he had taken with him. But as he began to wrap them around his head, covering his scar just in case the people in the hut were to glance out a window and see him, a familiar voice cut into his thoughts like a knife.

"_When it's just you and me around, I want you to take that off."_

Zuko froze, then glanced around cautiously, spinning on the spot to see if anyone was there, his eyes almost hopeful.

There was no one. He turned back, continuing to wrap his head with the fabric. He must have imagined it. He was just remembering things Mai had said because he felt lonely. That was all. He tied a quick knot in the cloth to keep it in place, then began his trek once more.

He was exhausted by now. It was already noon, and he had been walking since early last night with hardly any breaks, for fear of Mai finding him. His stomach grumbled loudly, announcing his hunger. Reluctantly he stopped walking again, slinging his pack off of his shoulder and dumping out its contents.

Much to his dismay, half a loaf of bread and an apple core were all the spilled onto the ground before him. He would have to find some food in the woods. Zuko's golden eyes scanned his surroundings skeptically. All the trees were completely bare, empty of any fruit or berries. His expression contemplative, he chewed on a bit of bread, weighing his options carefully. He probably couldn't go into a town; he didn't want to arouse suspicion, nor did he want Mai, if she _had _managed to track him, to follow him there and then get put back on the Fire Nation wanted list. He frowned, considering. If there was a river around, he could go fishing—

_"You were _never_ able to fish…"_

Zuko stiffened, biting his lips as Mai's voice wormed its way into his mind again. Why did he keep remembering this stuff? Why couldn't he just forget about her? He threw the last of his bread back into his pack, storming off through the woods, trying to clear his head.

_Mai is probably doing just fine_, he tried to assure himself, clenching his fists tightly to help relieve the anxiety that fluttered in his stomach. She probably didn't even like him at all. Most likely, she was glad he had left. It wasn't like she nee—

"_Because I need you."_

Zuko let out a loud groan, yanking at his raven black hair in frustration. He had hurt her. He knew he had hurt her. But he had only done it to keep her safe! Why were these thoughts of her haunting him like this as if he had done something wrong? He sank to his knees, tears beginning to well up in his unscarred eye as he held his face in his hands. He couldn't believe how hard this was. Hadn't he just saved her life? Shouldn't he be happy?

_No_, he thought, realization beginning to dawn on him. Zuko gritted his teeth, grief stabbing at him sharply over and over as he finally understood why he felt like this.

He would never truly be happy unless he was with Mai.

* * *

Mai's eyes flashed open as the crackling of a fire and a murmur of low voices reached her ears. 

She groaned, rubbing her eyes, disoriented. She didn't remember falling asleep. Glancing up, she took in the yellow-orange tint of the darkening sky that signaled the sunset. Mai shrugged. She _had _been tired.

A sudden roar of laughter made her jump, snapping her back into the present. Where were those voices coming from? Was someone about to attack her? She readied one of her knives, her features apprehensive as she carefully inspected the shadowed trees around her.

Seeing nothing, she cautiously turned around, poking her head out from behind the trunk of the tree she had been leaning against. Her pale gold eyes widened.

Three overly-muscled men were sitting around a small fire, muttering to each other in low voices as they ripped apart the meat they were having for dinner. An assortment of frightening-looking weapons were strapped to their backs or hung at their belts if they weren't littered on the ground around them, like the leather quiver filled with arrows was. Mai's keen vision zeroed in on the arrows, a certain memory eluding her. They seemed familiar somehow…

"I can't believe we have to go chase after that fire brat _again_," one of the men grumbled, his voice deep and blunt. Mai examined him carefully, taking in the large axe he was swinging casually at his side, his extremely noticeable underbite, and the unbelievably large muscles that gave him a very brutish appearance.

"I know it's a pain, Kero, but we're on the Fire Lord's orders. We can't just back out," a second man responded, his pitch distinguishably higher than the last man's. He was muscular, but not horrendously so like the first man—Kero—was. His dark, beady eyes were quick and intelligent, and despite his smaller size he seemed to have a certain demeanor about him that caused Mai to suspect that he was the leader.

The man named Kero grunted, slicing his axe deep into the ground and then yanking it back out easily. "But Rend, still," he groaned, addressing the man Mai thought was the leader. "Now we have to go searching through these blasted woods for that stupid prince." Mai's eyes widened in horror, her fingers gripping the bark of the tree in anxiety. They were after Zuko! "I mean, we come back to the Fire Nation, hoping to finally get a break, and as soon as we pull into port, we're given another job. But not just any job. Oh, no! We get the _same_ job!" He angrily tore a large strip of meat off of the steak he was holding, his eyes enraged. "Seriously, come on!" He pointed over at the man in between himself and Rend, who had been silent throughout the entire conversation. "Vince already killed him once! Why do we have to do it again? It's not _our_ fault he survived."

Mai gasped, pulling her head back quickly as she saw Rend's dark eyes flash over in her direction. Had he seen her? She sat stock-still against the tree, her heart beating wildly, her expression terrified as the man's words sunk in. Those three had been the ones that had shot Zuko, that had nearly killed him. She remembered the arrows she had noticed lying in the quiver. They had been familiar because those very same arrows had been embedded in Zuko's back a few weeks ago. Anger and hatred boiled inside her, and it took everything she had to keep herself from jumping out from behind the tree and attacking them for what they had done. She couldn't fight them, not now. At the moment, she had a much graver situation on her hands.

These people were still after Zuko. She had to find him, warn him, get him to safety. Because if she didn't get to him before these three, he would surely be killed.

She ran off into the woods in a panic, desperate to find him first. Before long she had vanished completely within the dark, elongated shadows the trees cast across the rocky ground, leaving the three men alone at their camp.

Rend spoke up, his voice piercing in the quiet of the forest. "You're right, it isn't our fault he survived. It's that one girl's. What was her name again?"

"Mai," Vince answered, speaking for the first time. His voice was rough and gravelly, probably from being left unused for such long periods of time.

"Right," Rend nodded.

"I'm glad _she's_ dead. She certainly deserved it," Kero snarled heartlessly.

Rend's face was stiff as he responded, "No, she's alive."

Vince and Kero both snapped their heads up, gaping at him with wide eyes.

"Didn't you notice? She was sitting right behind that tree there, listening." He gestured off to the side. "I saw her face. I know it was her."

"But…how could she have survived?" Kero wondered aloud, unable to process this information. "She was hit with a poisoned dart…"

"I don't know. But I suspect that the banished prince helped her. They seem to have a sort of bond." Rend shrugged carelessly.

Kero's huge muscles tightened as he got to his feet, his axe at the ready. "Well, then let's go get her before she gets too far!" He made to run out into the woods and search for her, but Rend shook his head patiently.

"No. There's a right way to do this. As I said, Mai and the fire prince have a bond of some sort. Mai already knows we're after him. Our plan now is simple." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Kero and Vince stared at him curiously. "We'll capture the prince first. Mai will most likely try to come and rescue him. _That's_ when we'll get her. Then we can ship them both off to the Fire Lord so that he can exterminate the both of them himself, leaving us unaccountable if they somehow manage to survive once more." He smiled a sick, greedy smile, baring his yellowing teeth. "That leaves us with no work left to do, and twice the reward."

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**A/N: That was my first time writing with OCs. I hope I did okay…Anyway, please review!!**


	13. Midnight Visitors

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for all the great reviews :) Time for chapter 13.**

**I don't own Avatar. I know that's hard to believe, but…**

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Sheets of rain poured ruthlessly down from the stormy night sky, an occasional rumble of thunder rolling its way through the forest, shaking the foliage roughly. A harsh, cutting wind blew through the tall trees, chilling any creature that was foolish enough to stay in the open to the bone.

And yet, despite this, Zuko was curled up against a nearly leafless tree, staring unseeingly off into the distance.

He looked lifeless. His normally pallid skin was even paler than usual, so luminescently white that it seemed to glow even in the darkness of the night. His raven black hair was matted down on his forehead, the bangs flopping over his golden eyes from being soaked through with rainwater. His thin clothing was also drenched, offering no warmth whatsoever as the rain continued to pound down on him, the droplets rolling off of him as if he were nothing more than a rock.

Zuko knew he should find shelter, or at the very least use his firebending to warm himself. But it seemed that he no longer had the strength to do so. His entire body was aching with pain, every particle of his being yearning for the same thing. The thing that he could never have again.

Mai.

Zuko hung his head, feeling another stab of pain in his heart as he bit his lips, which had turned a slightly bluish tint from the cold. It was obvious he needed her. He wanted so badly to be with her once more, to see her lovely face, to hold her in his arms…

But he couldn't. If he went back for her, she would end up being killed, being lost forever to death. He gritted his teeth, his expression screwed up in anguish at the thought. No, he would _not_ allow that to happen. But if he was going to make sure she lived, that meant he could never see her again. They would have to remain separated. A single tear rolled down Zuko's cheek as the reality of his situation set in, the salty liquid dripping off of his angular chin to mix with the puddles of rain below. They would never be together again.

Zuko moaned helplessly as he felt yet another hard jab in his chest. It was like a part of him had shriveled up and died. And without that part, he just couldn't survive. Similar to how he wouldn't be able to live without his lungs or his heart, he couldn't live without Mai. Nor did he _want_ to.

He wanted to just sit there and die.

He closed his eyes…

_"Zuko?" _

Zuko's eyes snapped open at the soft, wonderful voice, a desperate hope shining on his scarred face.

"Mai?" he called, his low voice disbelieving as he fervently scanned the area around him. His golden eyes widened.

_She_ was there. Mai was walking with her usual grace towards him, the layers of her robes billowing about her perfect figure, her delicately carved features set in deep concern. Her long hair was undone, soaked and bedraggled from the heavy rain, and her face was flushed, as if she had been running for a long time. Most people would have thought she appeared ragged, homeless, possibly even downright terrible, but to Zuko she had never looked more beautiful. He swallowed hard, his unscarred eye brimming with tears of pure joy as Mai knelt down before him, reaching out a fragile hand to set it lightly on the side of his face…

Just as her soft skin was about to touch his own, she vanished.

Zuko blinked in confusion, panic gripping at his heart with icy fingers. Where did she go? In less than a second he was on his feet, running his eyes over his surroundings wildly as a huge roar of thunder shook the earth beneath his feet.

There was no one. The feverish, burning hope that had been glistening in Zuko's eyes only moments before began to fade, disappearing into nothingness as he sat down on the muddy ground once more, grief hardening his grim expression. It had only been his imagination. Mai wasn't going to come for him.

No sooner had he thought that, however, when a figure appeared in the distance. It was completely hidden in shadow, the clouded night sky and pouring rain shielding all but its general outline from view. Zuko rubbed his eyes with a pale hand, expecting it to disappear just like his vision of Mai had.

But it didn't. The mysterious figure now seemed to be walking towards him. Even though Zuko's gut instinct was to be careful and suspicious, he couldn't help the feeble hope that he had been trying to shove down from rising once more within him.

He got cautiously to his feet, narrowing his eyes in uncertainty. "Who's there?" he asked, his voice low and apprehensive.

The figure stopped in its tracks at his words but did not bother to utter a response.

"Hello?" Zuko tried again, squinting through the rain, trying to see the figure clearly. Despite his better judgment, Zuko couldn't help but call out hopefully, "Mai?"

There was still no reply. The silence stretched on, broken only by the occasional crack of thunder and the steady pattering of the rain.

Suddenly two new silhouettes appeared out of the hazy darkness that cloaked the forest, both of them coming to stand on either side of the center figure. One of them was tall and lanky, a thin, curved object clutched in his hand. The other new arrival, however, was huge, hulking above the other two even though he seemed to be leaning against a rather thick, long pole. Zuko's golden eyes narrowed even more until they were merely slits. What was going on?

The tall, lean silhouette on the left lifted up his strange, curved object, holding it vertically out in front of him. Zuko raised his eyebrow curiously.

It wasn't until the stranger pulled a shorter, thinner object out of a case strapped on his back that Zuko realized what the objects were.

It was a bow and arrow. He gasped, about to back away…

But before he could do so, two arrows had been sent hurtling towards him at once, aimed with pinpoint accuracy at his chest.

* * *

Mai had been walking hurriedly through the woods, desperately searching behind every tree, under every bush, in every place Zuko could possibly be, when she heard it. 

A panicked shout rang out in the distance, causing a few slumbering birds to chirp loudly in surprise, having been startled awake. Mai's eyes widened in horror, her head snapping in the direction the cry had come from. She knew that voice.

_Zuko's_ voice.

_Oh no_, she thought, terrified, adrenaline pumping through her veins as her heart thumped in her chest. Those assassins must have found him, were attacking him at that very second.

Without a moment's hesitation, Mai broke out into a run, sprinting recklessly through the foliage in a mad dash. She had to get to him before it was too late…

* * *

Zuko only barely dodged the arrows, one of them slicing right through his sleeve and grazing the skin of his left arm. His eyes still wide in shock, he clenched his pale hands into fists, trying to create fire around them. 

To his horror, the beginnings of his flames were doused immediately in the heavy sheets of rain. What could he do now? He had nothing but the short knife at his belt to protect himself, and that certainly wouldn't be enough against three heavily armed men. He only had one option, really.

He yanked his dagger from his belt and threw it at the figure in the center, the knife embedding itself in the flesh just below his shoulder. As the man roared in agony, blood already pouring out of him and splattering onto the ground, Zuko spun on his heel and ran, hoping to lose them in the dark shadows of the night.

He had only gone two steps when he heard heavy, pounding footsteps stamping their way towards him. He gasped as he twisted his head around, catching sight of the largest man of the three running after him, a huge ax clamped in his massive fists. Crying out, Zuko jumped to the side, the blade of the man's weapon burying itself in the ground right beside his foot.

_If only I could firebend_, Zuko cursed silently, ducking behind a tree as another onslaught of arrows whizzed by his head. He hated feeling this defenseless. He leaned his back stiffly against the bark of the tree, trying to concoct a plan as quickly as possible. For the first time, he actually felt glad that he had left Mai. At least she wasn't in this horrible situation with him.

A thick, metal chain was suddenly thrown around the tree trunk, swinging over Zuko's neck so that he was pulled back against the bark, cutting off his airway and strangling him. Zuko gagged, clawing at the chain around his throat, trying desperately to pull it away from his neck, but to no avail. The huge man that was holding the chain in place was gripping it far too tightly to even budge it. Zuko gasped for air, his lungs straining, completely helpless while the metal began to cut into his throat.

One of the other men, the tall, lean one, stepped out from the shadows, staring at him with cold, heartless black eyes. Zuko looked at him carefully, a memory that had been lost to him starting to come back ever so slowly. He had seen this guy before…

But he didn't have any more time to ponder it. The man in front of him had begun swimming before Zuko's eyes from lack of oxygen, but he was still able to see the surprisingly small dart that the man latched onto his bowstring, pulling it back as he did so. He heard a faint twanging sound as the stranger released it.

The last thing Zuko was aware of was a small, sharp prick in his right shoulder. Then everything went black.

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**A/N: Please review!!**


	14. Captured

**A/N: Hey:) Sorry about the long wait for this update…I was busy. Hopefully the length of this chapter will make up for it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, though!**

**Avatar and all its characters belong to Mike and Bryan. (Except for Zuko, who belongs to Mai XD)**

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The only thing Zuko could feel when he first awoke was the horrible, searing pain in his head.

A low groan escaped his lips as he began to regain consciousness, his golden eyes cracking open with effort to take in his unfamiliar surroundings.

Four blank, windowless steel walls hemmed him in from all sides, leaving the small room completely covered in shadow save for the thin sliver of light that had slipped through the crack under the heavy metal door in front of him. He could feel the floor beneath him vibrating, bumping every now and then as if he were riding in some sort of machine. Zuko blinked tiredly, trying to rouse himself, his legs heavy and almost unresponsive as he pushed himself back slightly, leaning his shoulders against the icy metal wall behind him. What had happened? Where was he now? His eyes squeezed shut briefly, his head aching with pain. He tried to lift a hand to his throbbing head, but something prevented his arm from moving. Confused, he glanced to the side, wondering what was wrong.

His wrists were bound tightly in thick metal chains that had been screwed into the wall, pinning them securely in place. His almond-shaped eyes widened. What was going on?

Then he remembered, all of the events that had brought him into this situation washing over him at once. The three strangers, one of them oddly familiar. How they had attacked him out of the blue. Being unable to use firebending to protect himself. Getting pinned to a tree and falling unconscious soon after. He grimaced, attempting to clear his head, which was still pulsating with pain. They must have captured him. But why would they do that? Why wouldn't they have just killed him?

Fast, resounding footsteps broke into his thoughts, causing his head to snap up, eyes wary. Someone was coming.

The approaching footfalls stopped just outside the door, a looming shadow blocking out some of the light that had been shining from underneath it. He heard the rattling of keys, heard the familiar click of a lock as the stranger turned the handle, swinging the door open on well-oiled hinges and stepping inside.

Zuko glowered at the man in front of him reproachfully, vaguely recognizing him as one of the three that had attacked him. Even through the darkness, Zuko was able to see that the man was short and trimly built, standing arrogantly before his captive with a wide, sick grin spread across his face, his rotting teeth glimmering in the pale light. Zuko wouldn't have been able to tell that he was one of the three had it not been for the bandages wrapped tightly around his left shoulder, exactly where Zuko had thrown his dagger during the fight.

"Enjoying your stay?" the man began conversationally, his tone mockingly bright.

Zuko ignored him, gritting his teeth. "Who are you?" he demanded, his expression fierce. "Where am I? And why are you doing this?"

The man before him gave an exasperated sigh, leaning back on the door frame in an exaggerated casual manner. "One question at a time," he smirked, his dark eyes glittering with unsuppressed glee. "My name is Rend. And you are?"

Zuko's face stiffened, not bothering to hide his anger. "You know who I am. Now why are you doing this?" he repeated, his voice lowering dangerously.

Rend rolled his eyes at his question in light annoyance, a triumphant smile still playing on his thin lips. "The Fire Lord sent us after you. We were offered quite a reward." His grin widened with greed.

Zuko's mouth twitched slightly as he glared hatefully at him. "Then why didn't you just kill me? What's the point of taking me captive?"

To Zuko's surprise, Rend's grin widened even more, so much so that the corners of his mouth seemed to reach his glimmering eyes. He put a thin finger to his chin, his expression set in fake contemplation. "Well…" he began, gazing at Zuko out of the corner of his eye suggestively. "You never know who might try and come for you…"

Zuko's eyes widened in horror. They couldn't possibly be after Mai, could they? Panic gripped him tightly, his heart drumming wildly in his chest. What could he do? He couldn't let them capture her. He _couldn't_…

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He had to remember that everyone thought Mai was dead. He glared back up at Rend, his expression hard and guarded. "I don't know what you're talking about," he stated firmly, trying his best to be convincing.

Rend sent him a darkly playful look. "Don't you?" he pressed skeptically, folding his arms over his chest as he raised an eyebrow tauntingly.

"No." Zuko shifted his gaze to the side, wondering if his fear had crept onto his features.

"I think you do," Rend muttered precociously, his words piercing into Zuko's defenses. "I think you know exactly who I'm talking about."

Zuko remained silent, his jaw set as he stubbornly avoided the man's eyes, refusing to give any information away.

Rend stiffened, clearly annoyed at Zuko's lack of cooperation. What was the fun of taunting someone if they didn't even give a decent reaction? "Stop pretending," Rend snarled, his voice losing its lighter, teasing tone so that it was harsh and cold. "You and I both know that Mai is alive, so stop acting like it's not true."

Zuko only barely kept his expression from contorting in terror as his gaze flashed up to Rend, his heart clamoring loudly in his chest. Did the man really know that Mai was still alive? Panic filled Zuko up once more, and again he shoved it back with difficulty. "No, she's not!" Zuko denied, probably a bit too strongly. "She was hit with a poisoned dart." He swallowed hard, a lump beginning to form in his throat as he continued, "She's…dead." Even though he knew that wasn't true, the words still stung as they left his lips.

"Don't lie to me," Rend snapped, a touch of anger still marring his features. "I saw her. I know she's alive." Zuko gulped, unable to hide his fear anymore as Rend moved toward him slowly, each step amplified in the quiet of the small room. He leaned down, his face mere inches from Zuko's. "And when she comes for you…well…" His voice trailed off, making it obvious that he was looking forward to that point in time.

Zuko stiffened, his pale hands clenching into fists as he pushed slightly against his bindings, hoping to find a weak spot in the metal. "She won't come," Zuko shot back grimly, hoping that he was speaking the truth.

Rend smirked, straightening as his horrible grin returned. "Oh, she'll come alright. And I'll be waiting," he finished triumphantly. Zuko's face was screwed up in hatred, rage burning intensely inside him as Rend spun on his heel to exit the room. His muscles flexed, Zuko strained full-force against his bindings. He couldn't let this happen, not to Mai…

Unable to free himself, Zuko let out his rage by spewing a huge ball of fire out of his mouth, the flames smacking right against Rend's back and thrusting him through the doorway, leaving him sprawled out on the metal floor, a thin trail of smoke rising up from his scorched shirt.

Zuko gritted his teeth, bracing himself for an attack as Rend got slowly back up to his feet, wiping ashes off of the back of his charred shirt. But instead of twisting around to attack him, Rend just laughed, a sick, terrible laugh that made Zuko's throat close up. "It's too late for that," Rend snarled, still chuckling coldly. "I've already won." And with that, he slammed the door shut, leaving Zuko alone once more in the darkness.

Tears rolled down Zuko's angular cheek as he hung his head helplessly. Mai was in danger. And once again, it was all because of him. His face hardened painfully. The only thing he could do now was sit and hope. Hope that she wouldn't come.

* * *

Mai was coming. 

By the time she had arrived where Zuko must have been the night before, he and the assassins had already disappeared. In fact, the only proof that they had ever been there at all were the puddles of blood that had been mixed in with the rain and a certain, all-too-familiar dagger. Mai fingered it absently, reading the characters embellished upon the flat of the blade for about the fiftieth time in a row.

_Never give up without a fight._

She bit her lips, trying to hold back the tears that stung at her pale gold eyes. It couldn't have been more obvious that the dagger was Zuko's. Even if she hadn't seen him use it once before, she still would've known. That phrase just suited him too well for it to belong to anyone else.

Her eyebrows knotted together as a faint smudge of red on the otherwise silver dagger caught her eye. Carefully she pinched the blade, rubbing the speck off lightly with her thumb. She must have missed it from the night before, when the entire blade had been coated in ruby-red blood. Mai grimaced at the memory. She could only hope that it hadn't been Zuko's blood.

She shook her head roughly. She needed to stay focused. Mai quickened her pace, heading through the trees as fast as possible. Surprisingly, it hadn't been difficult at all to follow the assassins. They must have been riding in some sort of machine, for thick, deep tracks had been imprinted in the dirt, leaving a path that she could follow with ease.

It was all too simple. _Suspiciously_ simple.

Mai knew she was probably heading right into a trap. She still remembered when that one man—Rend—had glanced in her direction while she had been eavesdropping. She was pretty sure he had seen her. And if so, it would only make sense that he would want to capture her as well. She glanced down at the ground, biting her lips as she examined the tracks she was following. It probably wasn't even worth the risk to go after them. After all, she didn't even know if Zuko was still alive.

Her pale hands tightened into fists, her nails cutting into the soft skin of her palms. Even so, she couldn't give up on him. She wouldn't.

_Never give up without a fight._

She broke into a run.

* * *

The bright golden sun had only just begun to dip below the horizon, shedding a reddish-orange light over the thinning forest, when Rend brought their metal, tank-like vehicle to a halt. 

"Isn't it a little early to make camp?" Kero asked curiously, raising a bushy eyebrow as his leader hopped lightly onto the ground, the moist soil squelching beneath his feet.

"Normally, yes." Rend rubbed his injured shoulder, grimacing as he tried to shake off the pain. That fire brat had definitely left his mark. His brow furrowed in anger, hatred glittering in his dark eyes. He took a deep breath, calming himself as best as he could. He just needed to be patient. The prince would pay for it soon enough. Not just with his own life, but with his girlfriend's, too. Rend's features lightened at the thought, a sickly pleased smile playing on his lips as Vince jumped off the medium-sized machine, landing silently by his side. Vince had always been like that, wordless, soundless, like a ghostly apparition. But that only made him more valuable.

"What makes tonight so special?" Kero grumbled, climbing grudgingly off of the vehicle to tower over the other two. Rend let out a breath, impatiently rolling his eyes in annoyance. Kero was a handy guy to have around when brute strength was needed, but he asked way too many questions.

"Tonight we are awaiting our second prisoner," Rend answered in a carefully controlled tone, trying to hide his irritation. "We need to stop early so as to give her enough time to catch up with us."

"So, you're saying that we'll wait for the girl to show up, and then we'll attack?" Kero questioned eagerly, flexing his bulging arm muscles in anticipation.

"Sort of," Rend sighed. Every conversation he had with Kero seemed more like an interrogation. "It'll be more organized than that." Kero opened his mouth to spurt out yet another question, but Rend managed to cut him off. "We're going to set up an ambush."

"How?" Kero wondered aloud, as if Rend wouldn't have explained the plan without his prompting.

Rend rolled his eyes again, shifting his gaze over to Vince, who had been listening in a thoughtful silence the entire time. Rend grinned slyly. "It all starts with you," he began, pointing meaningfully at the archer.

* * *

Mai peered over the scraggly branches of the thorn bush she was ducked behind, gripping a few of her knives tightly between her slender fingers as she tried to summon the courage to move forward. 

She had found the group camped out in a small clearing close to the edge of the forest just after the sun had set, the sky cloaking the world in a deep navy blanket. The large machine that they had been riding in, where Zuko was undoubtedly being kept, was parked off to the side, its door left wide open, tempting her to sneak inside. The huge man, who Mai remembered vaguely as being named Kero, was hunched around a small fire next to Rend, who was chewing contentedly on a rather large piece of meat. With their backs facing her, she had an easy dash to the vehicle to save Zuko. But something held her back. Something was missing, strangely out of place…

Mai let out a low breath, trying to settle her nerves. She needed to relax. Here was the perfect opportunity to rescue Zuko, with the lowest possible amount of risk. Why not take it? With that final thought, she readied her knives, standing up slowly and carefully. Creeping on her tiptoes around the bush, she entered the clearing with caution, preparing to sprint across the short distance that separated her from Zuko as fast as possible.

She had only gone a few feet when her ears prickled with the frighteningly recognizable twang of a bow string on her left. Gasping, she snapped her head around just in time to see a flurry of arrows raining down on her.

Quickly Mai threw herself down on the ground, laying flat over the earth so that the arrows whizzed over her harmlessly. She gritted her teeth, cursing silently at her own stupidity. How could she have forgotten about that Vince guy? She should've known he'd be waiting for her when she hadn't seen him around the campfire with the other two. Groaning loudly, she jumped back up to her feet, her knives held out in front of herself defensively. Ready to throw her weapons at any moment, she scanned the foliage at the edge of the clearing, inspecting it for any signs of the archer.

Mai yelped suddenly, jumping back as a huge ball of fire was shot directly in front of her, throwing her out of her daze as it caught onto the dry grass and spread at an unbelievably fast rate to form a tall wall of flames, preventing her from running off. Her pale gold eyes widened in horror, her head twisting around to face the direction the fire blast had come from.

Rend was standing about ten feet away from her, his fists raised, smoke billowing off of his hands in slate grey clouds as he grinned, the firelight dancing in his menacing eyes. Mai gulped, stunned. She hadn't known he was a firebender.

She shook her head, refocusing on her target. Bender or not, she had to face him. Without another moment's hesitation, she swung her arm around, sending three of her knives cutting through the air towards Rend, aimed at his apparently injured shoulder. It was a low blow, but then again, she was up against three men. She didn't have much of a choice.

Rend sidestepped quickly, only one of the knives managing to make contact with his skin. The sharp blade sliced into the muscles in his upper arm, making him hiss with pain as he drew back, clutching at the bloodied cut. Mai pulled a few stilettos out of their casings around her wrists, about to take full advantage of her opponent's current weakness, but before she could even move, two massive hands clamped onto her shoulders, the grip so tight it felt like her bones were breaking. She cried out, trying to pull away, to stop the terrible pain, but Kero's hold was firm. He shoved her to the ground with excess force, her face burying in the dirt as he effortlessly yanked her arms behind her back, keeping her from using her weapons. Mai grunted angrily, struggling desperately against him, then lashed out backward with her leg, planting a hard kick right in the man's abdomen. Kero, being as overly muscular as he was, hardly recoiled at all, but his iron hard grip lost some of its tension out of surprise. Mai slipped her thin arms out of his thick, stubby fingers hurriedly, grabbing two knives from her sleeves in the process, then rolled over to the side and hopped agilely onto her feet. Beads of sweat dripping down her forehead, she glared defensively at her attackers, knives poised.

All three of them had surrounded her by then. Vince had come out of his hiding place in the shadows, his long bow held out in front of him, three arrows already notched onto the thin string. Rend must have recovered from Mai's attack, because he was now standing before her, his fists raised and already burning with flames. Kero was the only one that seemed casual, not bothering to put up any defenses against the comparatively scrawny girl; his size alone was enough to keep her back. Mai's eyes swiveled madly in their sockets in an attempt to keep tabs on all of them at once. There was no way she could beat these guys, and her only escape route had been blocked off completely. Even if she managed to slip past the trio, the huge wall of fire that Rend had created earlier would stop her anyway.

Rend grinned, realizing the same thing Mai just had. "Drop your weapons," he snarled, his happiness practically glowing on his grisly face. "It's over."

* * *

The second that the sound of footsteps reached Zuko's ears, his head snapped up, internal flames already beginning to burn inside him once more with unsuppressed rage. His nostrils flared angrily as he remembered Rend's plans for Mai. If he was the one outside the door, Zuko was going to burn him to a crisp no matter what the consequence. 

But when the metal door swung open, he was surprised to see that it wasn't Rend. In his place was the hulking form of Kero with what looked like a large sac, at least in the current lighting, held in his arms. He threw the bundle carelessly to the floor, and as the thing rolled into Zuko's span of vision, his eyes widened in horrified recognition.

Now that it was closer, he could faintly make out the slim, softly curved figure of a girl sprawled out on the cold metal surface of the floor, silky black hair spilled elegantly over her face, shielding it from view.

"There's your girlfriend," Kero spat, his gruff voice dripping with spite as Zuko gaped at the painstakingly familiar girl in front of him, his mouth wide open in shock.

"Mai?" Zuko whispered, his question nearly inaudible from his terror. This couldn't be happening, it had to be a mistake…

But as Kero left the room, slamming the heavy door shut behind him, the girl propped herself up on her elbows, lifting her head and swiping her beautiful hair away from her face, allowing Zuko to see her clearly for the first time. A pair of pale gold eyes widened as they met his, the delicate features lifting in horror as she gazed at him through the shadows. He stared back, his expression mirroring hers.

Zuko was the first one to break the deathly silence that filled the room.

"Mai," he murmured softly, his heart clenching in his chest. "You shouldn't have come…"

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**A/N: Hooray, they're back together :) Probably not in the circumstances most of you would like them to be, but whatever.**

**The next update should come sooner than last. Please review!!**


	15. A Reunion

**A/N: Alright, I'm back! This chapter is mainly here to set the premise for the next few. It does not push the plot forward very far, but trust me, it's necessary. Believe it or not, this story is nearing its end. Anyway, moving on to the update.**

**Sorry, today I don't have a lame joke about how I don't own Avatar. You must be so disappointed…**

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Zuko felt like he had just snapped back into the hallucination he had experienced a couple nights ago.

Mai was before him, pushing herself up onto her feet with difficulty, seeming to cringe momentarily in pain. Beads of sweat coated her perfectly angled face, her soft, tender lips parting slightly as her eyebrows lifted, concern filling her almond-shaped eyes with tears that threatened to overflow onto the delicate ivory skin of her cheeks. Her thick hair was undone, left in a messy array of dark strands that framed her deathly pale complexion. Worry immediately flickered across Zuko's painstaken features, fear that she was hurt swallowing him easily in a single gulp.

"Are you alright?" he asked quickly, scanning her angelically curved figure from head to toe for any wounds.

Mai did not respond, only continued to stare at him disbelievingly, a torrent of emotions playing in her watering golden eyes. Zuko gaped back at her like she was a dream come to life as she stepped toward him silently, kneeling down mere inches away and reaching out with a fragile hand for the right side of his face, exactly as she had in his vision that one night. A single tear slipped through her usually iron-hard defenses, rolling smoothly down her cheek with a beautiful grace that made Zuko's heart skip a beat and his breath catch in his throat. His honey-colored eyes burned with an intense longing as they met Mai's, her expression unreadable as her hand hovered just above Zuko's unscarred cheek.

Then she smacked him across the face.

"You're an idiot!" she informed him harshly, her hands clenching into tight fists at her sides as she stomped back up to her feet, twisting around and leaving him on the floor alone to grimace at the stinging pain in his cheek.

A pair of sorrowful eyes followed Mai as she stormed to the opposite side of the room, her slight frame practically shaking with rage. Zuko swallowed hard, biting his lips to try and relieve the guilt and remorse that swelled in his chest. He had known she would be angry. In fact, he had pretty much expected her to hate him. But even so, it hurt to see her so mad at him. He had never seen her like this; usually she was calm and controlled. For her to be showing this much anger, Zuko realized, she must be really hurt. "Mai, I'm sorry," Zuko murmured sincerely, hoping that she would understand. "You're probably really angry, but—"

"Yeah, I _am_ angry!" she snapped, starting to pace back and forth in the tiny room, looking distinctly like a volcano that was about to erupt. Zuko nearly opened his mouth to offer a rebuttal, but he managed to stop himself. After what he had done to her, she deserved the right to have her say.

"I mean, what were you _thinking_?" she fumed, her voice traveling up a couple octaves as she threw her arms up in the air, exasperated. "Why did you leave? What did you think that could possibly accomplish? Did you _want_ to get captured?" Her hands flew to her hips, her jaw set stiffly in rage as she glared down at him.

"I only wanted you to be safe," Zuko muttered defensively, unable to stop himself from responding.

"Well that plan worked!" she shot back sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she gestured at the metal walls around them. "And where in the world did you get the idea that _abandoning_ me in the middle of a forest would keep me safe? How could you be so stupid?" Her normally apathetic face was pinched up with a horrifying amount of anger, flushing slightly at the sudden onslaught of unfamiliar emotions that continued to boil inside her.

"Mai, listen—" Zuko began, his voice turning urgent, but Mai cut him off.

"No, you listen!" she spat, her tone so forceful and deadly that Zuko immediately clamped his mouth shut. "When you left, I was scared out of my brains for you. I knew there were people after you, and I had no idea if they had gotten to you or not, let alone if you were even still alive!" Now the tears that had been swirling in her eyes before were back, her face tightening as the pain she felt began to cut into her steely defenses. Quickly she shook her head, pushing the tears back by sheer willpower, then jabbed her forefinger at Zuko angrily. "Didn't you know how hard that would be for me? Did you even stop to consider that I might be worried about you?" She stopped abruptly, biting her lips in a feeble attempt to hold back her tears. Zuko hung his head, hiding his pale face in shadow as he felt his own tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

When Mai spoke again, her anger was back, all the hurt and sadness that had wavered in her voice before being completely replaced by rage and contempt. "But of course not. Why would you bother to think about how _I_ might feel?" She spun around, her back facing Zuko as she crouched down on the floor, her emotions getting the best of her as she fingered the engagement necklace she had never taken off. "Why would you even care?" she whispered tremulously, her quiet, painstaken voice slicing into Zuko's heart like a knife.

"Mai, I do care!" he protested meaningfully, his tone tinted with desperation. "I care about you more than anyone else! That's why I had to leave—"

"No," Mai interrupted bluntly, not even bothering to twist around and face him. "If you really cared, you would've stayed with me." Zuko grimaced as he heard her choke back a sob. "You wouldn't have left."

"Mai," he murmured softly, his voice low and wrought with pain. "Mai, please, try to understand…"

Mai didn't appear to be listening. She shook her head slightly, sitting stiffly on the icy metal floor beneath her without so much as a backward glance in his direction.

"It's just…I've come so close to losing you," Zuko explained passively, turning his head away so that only his scar was visible, his anguish worming its way into his voice. He took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself. He had to tell Mai the truth, whether she would accept it or not. "You've been on the verge of death so many times. And to see you like that…it was just too much. I couldn't deal with the risk of you…dying." He swallowed hard, biting his lips in an attempt to keep his emotions back. "I was willing to do anything—_anything—_to save you, to keep you out of danger." He paused, sparing a quick glance up at Mai, who hadn't even acknowledged that he was speaking. "So when I found out that everyone thought you were dead…well, it was a miracle. I had the perfect opportunity to protect you. People were still after me, and if you were with me, I knew I would be putting you at risk. I thought that if I left, you would be safe."

Mai lifted her head slightly, turning a tiny bit to the side so that she could peer at him out of the corner of her eye without him noticing. He had twisted as far away from her as his chains would allow, his raven-black hair—which must have grown over their time apart—casting dark tendrils of shadow over his face, concealing it from view. Even so, she could still see that he was horribly distraught, could tell how much it pained him to see her so angry, how badly he need her to understand. Mai turned her head to face forward once more, unable to look at him any longer for fear of breaking down completely.

"But I was wrong," Zuko admitted darkly, his voice cracking as his emotions began to overpower him. "I should have known you would follow me and end up getting captured too." There was a long, deathly silence, undoubtedly because Zuko was trying to regain his composure. Mai let out a breath, the warm air appearing in a misty cloud before her as it met the cool air of the room. Finally Zuko forced out a single sentence, his wavering voice so wrought with pain that Mai couldn't help but turn and face him once again.

"And now you're in danger again, and it's all because of me."

Quietly she got to her feet, padding softly over to Zuko, whose distressed form was crumpled against the wall, his face still tilted away. She knelt down in front of him, exactly as she had earlier, but this time she didn't slap him. Instead, she tenderly brought her hand up to his unscarred cheek, turning his head gently so that she could see his face. A thin tear was rolling its way down his cheek, his tortured golden eyes flickering open at her touch, his gaze meeting Mai's saddened one.

"I'm sorry, Mai," he breathed in the same painstaken tone he had used the night of his departure. "I couldn't protect you, and I'm sorry." He tried to turn his head away so he wouldn't have to look into her eyes any longer, but Mai's hand stayed him.

"Zuko," she murmured sympathetically, brushing his shaggy black hair out of his tormented eyes with the light, caring touch that Zuko had been yearning for. She leaned in closer, her light, sweet breath puffing slightly against his scarred face, her kind hand gently stroking his angular cheek, wiping away the tear that had trailed down it. "Zuko, I—"

But before she could continue, Zuko had smashed his pale lips against hers, closing her mouth with a kiss more passionate and hard than ever before. Mai stiffened, taken aback by the mere force of it, then slowly gave in, melting into the kiss gratefully. Even in their current situation, she was so happy to be with him, happier than she had ever been or had thought she was capable of being. She smiled slightly against Zuko's lips, letting the joy she felt fill her up entirely. She was so glad she had him back…

That reminded her. Troubled, she broke off, pushing Zuko back lightly when he tried to lean in again and continue their kiss. "Zuko," she muttered worriedly, causing Zuko to freeze immediately in concern. "Zuko, you aren't…you won't do that to me again, will you?" She swallowed hard, her stern golden eyes boring into his with such intensity that Zuko felt as if the breath had been sucked right out of him.

"I won't," he stated firmly, looking steadily and unflinchingly into Mai's eyes. "I'm never going to leave you again."

Despite the sincerity in his voice, Mai didn't seem convinced, crossing her thin arms tightly over her chest. "Promise?"

Zuko's face hardened, a dark feeling twisting a knot in the pit of his stomach as if he were sealing his fate with just two simple words.

"I promise."

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**A/N: Like I said, it's just a set-up sort of chapter. On a side note, the next update might take me a while because finals are coming up. :( Anyway, please review!!!**


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